Sopak: Sabrina didn't start until halfway through her freshman year, and 99 out of 100 parents would have been calling a meeting saying, "My daughter's the best player on the floor. Hebard: I was like, she's always yelling! Her soon-to-be favorite player entered the league in 2009, when the Warriors used the No. 3 Stanford", "Sabrina Ionescu's career night leads Oregon past Stanford", "Ionescu Breaks Assist Record in Civil War Win, Ducks 76 Beavers 64", "Oregon Ducks women: Ionescu and Hebard reach milestones in lopsided victory", "Gary Payton congratulates Sabrina Ionescu on breaking his Pac-12 all-time assists record", "Sabrina Ionescu Adds Career Milestone in Win vs. UCLA", "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu Named Honda Sport Award Winner for Basketball", "WNBA mock draft 2019: Predicting all three rounds", "Liberty Select Sabrina Ionescu No. I think he almost started crying, gave me a hug, everyone was super happy, and then I started school the next day. As a result, she became the youngest player in WNBA history to achieve a triple-double. Shortly after the premature end of her senior season, the university polled fans on social media, asking them to name the four Oregon alumni they would put on a notional Mount Rushmore for the university. Be Unique. He played basketball at City College of San Francisco. [11] Ionescu was named a McDonald's All-America and Jordan Brand All-American selection. [4][5] Eddy played basketball at the City College of San Francisco before transferring to Oregon; he was solely a student in the 201819 school year[6] before walking on to the Ducks men's basketball team in 201920. Ionescu attended a middle school that did not have enough players to field a girls' team, and her school refused to allow her to play on the boys' team. . Eddy recorded an average of 6.0 points per game in his first year in 2016-17, and as a sophomore, he recorded 9.9 points per outing in 2017-18. November 11, 2022 New York Liberty guard, Sabrina Ionescu rejoins her alma mater as the director of athletic culture. Ionescu won almost all the possible National Player of the Year awards, including the John R. Wooden Award, Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, ESPY for Top Female College Athlete and ESPN.com National Player of the Year. Sabrina is 18 minutes older than Eddy. We were always so competitive, and I think it's 'cause we were the same age. Seriously, word-for-word." Later, he was transferred to Oregon Ducks and played for them like his sister. [43][44] In the end, though, she did not play again for the remainder of her first professional season. On April 14, 2020, Ionescu was named the winner of the Honda Sports Award as the best collegiate female basketball player in the nation. Eddy: Sabrina doesn't really like to follow the way regular people do it. Sabrina Ionescu is one of the most highly touted college players to ever get drafted into the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu is a professional basketball player who plays for the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a Point Guard for the New York Liberty. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. [10] Ionescu also made a first half buzzer beating shot from half court. I took Washington, Oregon State, Oregon, Cal. In the postgame interview, she calls out ESPN: "It probably still won't get recognized because ESPN never recognizes women's sports. Eddy Ionescu, aka Edward 'Vortex' Ionescu, followed the same path as her sister and is a professional basketball player like her sister. I'm torn.". His vision for others is always bigger than that for themselves. 1 defensive team. As a senior, Ionescu averaged 17.5 points per game, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds. Then you start to realize the incredible competitiveness that she has, the skill level that she has, the physical and mental toughness that she has. Sabrina is a basketball player now engaged with the former American football player Hroniss Grasu. 3 Oregon arrives for the first time at Gampel Pavilion for a matchup against No. I do thorough research before writing and am always up-to-date on new technologies. It was definitely tough. Draft", "07/29/20: New York Liberty @ Dallas Wings", "Your Day in Women's Basketball, October 12: Sabrina Ionescu is ready to ball", "New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu leaves game after ankle injury", "What Sabrina Ionescu's injury means for her rookie season and the New York Liberty", "Ionescu Records Liberty's First-Ever Triple Double", "Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu records first 30-point triple-double in WNBA history in win over Aces", "Oregon Ducks Take USA Basketball Women's 3x3 National Championship Title", "Sabrina Ionescu leads Oregon to USA 3-on-3 national championship", "Oregon players to represent U.S. in FIBA 3x3 World Cup", "Don't call them kids they just swept their pool at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2018", "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu wins PAC-12 Player of the Year while playing for Christ", "Sabrina Ionescu: 5 Facts About Superstar Picked No. I'm kind of a procrastinator, so I let it get to like an hour before I had to decide. She is clearly in a happy relationship with Grasu and is excited to take the next step in their journey together. They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra . [3], On November 13, 2016, Ionescu made her collegiate debut for Oregon, recording 11 points in an 8467 win over Lamar. I did not cry. Eddy: The little dirty plays that some basketball players do, tugging on your shorts, whispering in your ear some trash talk, tripping you while you walk by I would just get under Sabrina's skin, just because I didn't feel like she had enough experience with that yet. Sabrina: Coming into college, I never ran a ball screen in my life, and that's what our entire offense was. Sabrina: Everything that I'm going to do, I'm going to make sure that he stays close. They broke down the game, and then. Ionescu recorded four triple-doubles, one shy of the Pac-12 record and two less than the NCAA record. Heading into her junior season, Sabrina has 10 triple-doubles in her career. Sabrina makes college visits but doesn't make a decision about which one she'll attend until just before the summer 2016 term begins. What's next for the prodigious point guard with a penchant for pushing life-altering decisions to the last possible moment? Reels. Edward, born on December 6, 1997, is only 18 minutes older than his sister. But when she was a kid, she and her twin brother, Eddy Ionescu, would channel the future Oregon Duck's on-court flair for a far less righteous end goal. She has played in three games with the Liberty so far. " (I'm) impressed with her rebounding," Quigley said. It's awesome to be part of a team that has accomplished that. It was part introduction and part prophecy. She responded by recruiting enough girls to enable her school to have a team. I feel like that's definitely something that she'll leave behind, that's going to motivate the younger generation. He'd come to visit, but not having him always to talk to in person was a lot different for me. Just like his sister, Eddy also plays college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Forward Ruthy Hebard bought into her best friend's mission of changing the culture at Oregon. Edited by Sam Nicodemo and Warren Wolcott. Sopak: The biggest challenge she has now is overcoming losing. See All. They own and run the "Greco's New York Pizzeria," a pizza restaurant located on Hollywood Boulevard. Sabrina: I showered, I had some food. The great ones are like that. With Oregon ranked No. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Rob Herring Wife: Who Is Nicola Herring? But my teammates were ready and I tried to do everything I could to be ready in order for us to win. Talking about her academics, she attended Miramonte High School from 2012 to 2016. She takes to heart what people say, their comments. "Not many . Most Popular #24328. Edward has also developed . I was like, "Have fun in New York!". Eddy: That was probably one of her biggest lows. The referee came over, ejected him, and Sabrina just got up and started clapping in his face. She was an Oregon Ducks basketball player in college. | Julio Aguilar/Getty Images Ionescu actually has a twin brother named Eddy who also plays basketball. However, that's quite a pull, you know? Sabrina: I knew I was doing a little bit of everything, but there were no stats up on the scoreboard. Eddy Ionescu, Sabrina's twin brother, was born just 18 minutes after her in 1997. And that fourth quarter, we just didn't shoot the ball well. She is also the Pac-12 Conference all-time leader in assists as well as the only NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2000 points, 1000 assists, and 1000 rebounds in her career. "You just see it's a little bit different in her preparation, in her focus, in her manner," he says. Sabrina Ionescu gets nervous. He and Sabrina stay connected through the Bay Area community and its youth basketball scene. Two times Pac-12 Player of the year, finished his collegiate career at the University of Oregon Ducks women's basketball team. On Feb. 3, with so many still in mourning, No. After all, Ive never met another Romanian basketball player on the floor., twin brother Eddy Ionescu gave us tv gold last night with a Romanian breakdown of the game of his sis @sabrina_i20 @OregonWBB #WNCAA pic.twitter.com/YFuCJ2BUDo, Many NBA Players Supported the WNBA in a Big Way. So we decided to build a future together. The Ionescus have certainly made a name for themselves in the basketball world. And then someone told us about a girls club in Orinda [California]. Required fields are marked *. He was always super supportive and was like, "Don't worry, keep getting in the gym, keep getting extra shots.". Her mother is Liliana Blaj and she has a twin brother Edward ("Eddy"). Hroniss Grasu, Sabrina's partner, is a well-known free agency football center who has experience playing for several clubs, including the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and San Francisco 49ers. His sister, Sabrina, is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) professional). She was named Pac-12 Freshman of Week four times and was named USBWA National Player of the Week. Her twin, Edward also played basketball at the City College of San Francisco and was solely a student in the 2018-19 school year, before walking on to the Ducks men's basketball team in 2019-20. Sabrina: I don't really think I grasped what it would be like. April 17, 2020 Nike, Inc. signs WNBAs #1 overall pick, Sabrina Ionescu to multiyear endorsement deal which will include signature footwear and apparel..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}"Nike signs #1 pick Sabrina Ionescu to multiyear endorsement deal". While we wait and wonder about what will be, we reflect on the moments and milestones that have already been. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. Very indecisive. 'So I made this deal with God. "It's unfortunate we didn't get to see them in the tournament. Death Cause And Mental HealthContinue, Katrina Gorry Partner Clara Markstedt is a Swedish football player who competes for Vittsjo GIK. [35] On February 14, 2020, Ionescu recorded her 1,000th career assist in a game against #7 UCLA and joined Courtney Vandersloot as the only players in NCAA men's and women's basketball history with 2,000 plus points and 1,000 plus assists. [19] Twelve days later, she would tie the NCAA triple-double record, with her 12th triple-double in a win against Buffalo. During her first year, she participated in 14 games out of 29 games, scoring 13.8 points, 2.9 steals, and 3.9 assists per game during that season. Maybe that's what drives her. She set an NCAA triple-double record instead", "Sabrina Ionescu, 'The Franchise,' accepts ALL-USA Girls Basketball Player of the Year trophy", "Miramonte High School standout named Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year", "ESPN Recruiting Profile of Sabrina Ionescu", "Oregon Ducks' Sabrina Ionescu is ESPNW's player of the week", "Ducks' Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard among position award winners", "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon State's Marie Gulich named ESPN All-Americans", "Oregon vs. Alaska Fairbanks Game Summary November 6, 2018 ESPN", "Buffalo vs. Oregon Game Summary November 18, 2018 ESPN", "espnW on Twitter: "Oregon's @sabrina_i20 messed around and got her 13th career triple-double. Namrata is an enthusiastic CSIT student. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. The two started playing basketball together when they were in grade school. It was tough being there and it was tough having to play a top-five matchup right after that. Eddy Ionescu, a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty, is Sabrina Ionescu's brother. We didn't really talk about the game for a little while. And so I had to learn how to use the ball screens and all the frustration that comes with that. Too nervous to sleep. Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. She owns a record-setting 18 career triple-doubles - the most of any student-athlete in a single season and career. Sabrina Ionescu makes WNBA single-season history New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu made history Saturday night, becoming the first WNBA player to eclipse 500 points, 200 rebounds and 2.. Sopak: I'm on the phone with her and she has 19 minutes to notify the WNBA [laughs] if she's going to declare for the draft, and we're seeing things on Twitter that she's going, she's not going, and we're laughing about it because she doesn't know. Wife And Net Worth Revealed. They never took anything for granted, especially starting warm-ups. [53], Ionescu is engaged to former Oregon football player and Las Vegas Raiders center Hroniss Grasu.[54]. He scored six points per game as a freshman and 9.9 as a sophomore. . 1 ranked point guard and No. I think that, you know, college, even high school girls, athletes, need to step up and say, "Hey, we deserve this," "Hey, do you see what I'm doing?" She received national honors including the USA Today Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Max Preps Player of the Year, Cal-Hi Sports Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year and Gatorade State Player of the Year. The couple used to study at the same college University of Oregon. So I just remember, I said, "I'm going to stay." Their warm-ups were elite, and so I think that just goes to show what they built there and what we're trying to build here. Sabrina Ionescu's Twin brother Eddy (Source: Instagram) Eddy recorded an average of 6.0 points per game in his first year in 2016-17, and as a sophomore, he recorded 9.9 points per outing in 2017-18. It's Oregon's first triple-double since 1988. And nothing was ever given to us as kids. It allowed me to push her more than I could push any other player to be great. The talented professional basketball player Sabrina has been the subject of rumors regarding her sexual orientation. The twin brother Edward (Eddy) was born 18 minutes after her. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Ionescu is perfectly pixilated for today's generation of young fans, who grew up watching basketball not just on ESPN but also XBox and PlayStation. If he won, we'd play again. When they were kids, the two used to even hustle older men on the basketball court so that they could get money for Slurpees. As Sabrina processes her grief, she dedicates her season and everything that comes next to Kobe. Just like he saw it in me. If we only knew when we could see her play her sport again. Id sit there and try and act like I had no idea how to play, and so they had betted money, and then it was game on, Sabrina told ESPNW. Months go by. And so he starts bawling, and then I start crying. Sabrina Ionescu was born on December 6, 1997, in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California, United States. 1 in W.N.B.A. Watching it now, like, wow, a lot of my dreams have become a reality. But if I did, they were only tears of joy. Also Read: Was Karl Malone Arrested For Rape Allegations? Then he said, "That's really impressive, that hasn't been done a lot," and walked out. Dan: Here's one thing that I've learned through the years with Sabrina. Sabrina has 24 hours after the conclusion of her season to decide whether to declare for the WNBA draft. It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes. Christie Hemm Klok for ESPN. Later that month, Ionescu, Auriemma and Taurasi are among the eight people to speak at the Los Angeles memorial honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant.
