I mean, none of us had been in that position. Sabrina Ionescu only played two full games before her first WNBA season came to a devastating halt. However, that's quite a pull, you know? She was named the winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top Division I women's point guard after the season,[15] and was also a finalist for the Naismith Award. 1 ranked point guard and No. They upset No. Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles, "Nike signs #1 pick Sabrina Ionescu to multiyear endorsement deal", "Sabrina Ionescu joins Oregon Ducks in part-time role", "Sabrina Ionescu - Forbes 30 Under 30 Profile", List of NCAA Division I basketball career triple-doubles leaders, List of NCAA Division I women's basketball career assists leaders, "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu makes history against Stanford", "Sabrina Ionescu: 4 facts about the Oregon women's basketball scoring, assists leader", "Miramonte alum Sabrina Ionescu returns to Bay Area with Oregon", "Her middle school said to play with dolls. As a result, she became the youngest player in WNBA history to achieve a triple-double. So I figured that if I could rebound, I would be able to get the ball myself. 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. , Read More Demetress Bell Wife Is He Married? In her second WNBA game on July 29 against the Dallas Wings, she recorded 33 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds in 34 minutes of play. Sabrina Ionescu brother, Edward, is also a basketball player. My dad had no idea. I shot 3-pointers, free throws, everything left-handed. Liliana: I still feel like I'm just living in dreams, especially at the bigger games, and when I know that next year she's going to join a professional team, it's something that I never thought was going to happen. I took Washington, Oregon State, Oregon, Cal. Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, California, to Romanian-American parents. When I found out Sabrina had a twin brother, Eddy, I immediately knew I wanted to interview them together because they . Case UpdateContinue, Stanley Wilson Jr Wife does not exist, as the player was single till his death. The WNBA. She was born to proud and supportive parents, Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj. My family has always been there for inspiration to keep pushing and one day become a WNBA player.". No one spoke. In March, the 31-2 Ducks are poised for a 1-seed and deep run in the NCAA tournament. What she had done, as a 12-year-old member of the Toastmasters International Club, was write a speech titled "How My Basketball Dreams Began. Her name hadn't yet become synonymous with the term "triple-double." Seriously, word-for-word." So I didn't post anything. [29], In the second game of her senior season on November 13, 2019, Ionescu surpassed the 2,000 points, 800 assists mark for her college career with a 10952 win over Utah State. Because they knew exactly how it was gonna start. Graves: I think Sabrina in New York, if that's the way it works out, is a match made in heaven. After an. The entire time, he had played it off that he was like, "We'll do whatever's best for you," and then was like, "All right, I'm going to go on a walk." However, things did not go as per plan for Dan. Like his sister Sabrina, Edward plays basketball for the NCAA's Oregon Ducks. [1] Ionescu was also a significant draw when Oregon went on the road; for example, when the Ducks visited Washington during her junior season, the crowd for that game was 3,000 more than the Huskies drew two nights earlier against Oregon State.[7]. Most Popular #24328. She was born with her twin brother named Edward, also named Eddy, who was born just 18 minutes after Sabrina was born. Edward demonstrated his talent through his victories over Utah, Oregon State, and California. Young NBA athlete Aaron Nesmiths family, dating life, and, Read More Aaron Nesmith Brother Eddie Nesmith, Parents Girlfriend And InstagramContinue, People are curious about Demetress Bell wife, whether the defensive back has been married or not. She is the NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles, the Pac-12 Conference all-time leader in assists, and the only NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2,000 . Too nervous to sleep. It'd be pretty intense. She averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and first in assists. ", Sabrina: They had posted something about Ja Morant getting one and said that there was only eight or seven people that ever got one in the NCAA tournament, and they listed all the men that had gotten a triple-double. In a 2019 interview with Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Ionescu admitted to being a "natural scorer", but said that most of the rest of her skill set came from playing alongside both boys and older girls in her childhood:[7].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}. A Big 3 of Jones, Stewart and Ionescu would. She was named the McDonald's All-America game MVP after scoring a record 25 points, including seven three-pointers, with 10 rebounds. Maybe that's what drives her. "[48] She adjusted quickly to the unfamiliar format, leading her team to the championship while going unbeaten and also being named tournament MVP. In addition to the career record, Ionescu also held the Miramonte top three single season scoring records with 598 (201314), 760 (201415) and 834 (201516). Sopak: The biggest challenge she has now is overcoming losing. Be Unique. "It's unfortunate we didn't get to see them in the tournament. He hoped that his then-wife, Liliana Blaj, and their son Andrei could join them in a few months, but they were unable to move to the US until 1995. About. They had heard the language at home throughout their lives. Sopak: Even at that age she just had this swagger about her. Show More Posts from sabrina_i. They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra money. Shop ionescu t-shirts created by independent artists from around the globe. Sabrina Ionescu was born on December 6, 1997, in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California, United States. There weren't many girls' programs for her as she was growing up, but she found a way to continue to improve and pushed herself to be the best. Like. After the NCAA made the extraordinary decision last week to cancel its tournaments in an effort to slow the coronavirus pandemic, Ionescu lost the opportunity to win the championship that has eluded her and her Oregon Ducks, the one for which she delayed entry to the WNBA to try to claim. !#GoDucks . It allowed me to push her more than I could push any other player to be great. A daughter of Romanian immigrants who fled their homeland after the 1989 revolution, Ionescu took to basketball "just trying to keep up" with her brothers in the driveway while growing up the . She'll turn over right . . Her mother is Liliana Blaj and she has a twin brother Edward ("Eddy"). She has her eye on a matchup with Diana Taurasi, who is widely considered the league's GOAT. Sabrina Ionescu and brother Eddy are born on Dec. 6, 1997, to Romanian immigrant parents in Walnut Creek, California. Eddy: It helped us grow into the people we are, and then we know that we always have each other to fall back on. I feel like that's definitely something that she'll leave behind, that's going to motivate the younger generation. 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. On December 6, 1997, Sabrina Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California. 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. . Verified. On April 14, 2020, Ionescu was named the winner of the Honda Sports Award as the best collegiate female basketball player in the nation. [47] Ionescu had never before played under FIBA 3x3 rules, admitting after the tournament, "I had to ask the rules before the games started. Sabrina: My dad would try to coach from the stands, and he'd yell stuff in Romanian to me. Sabrina Ionescu selected No. Sabrina: Obviously that was tough. The twin brother Edward (Eddy) was born 18 minutes after her. Hebard: I think it's just amazing to see what she accomplishes because she works so hard, and then, like, triple-doubles, that's such a big thing. In her senior year, she led Miramonte to the CIF open division title game after averaging 25.3 points, 8.8 assists, 7.6 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. In an interview with ESPN, the presumptive No. He, Read More Rob Herring Wife: Who Is Nicola Herring? [40] She played her first game with the Liberty on July 25. [My family] saw the pros in both decisions, and they just told me, "The decision is yours, do what you want, we support you." But she went to a middle school that didn't have enough players to field a girls team, and when she attempted to try out for the boys' team, she was prohibited. At the end of the regular season, she was named Pac-12 Freshmen of the Year and unanimous First Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu rejoins her alma mater as the director of athletic culture, the program announced Friday. She was an Oregon Ducks basketball player in college. Wife And Net Worth Revealed. She then averaged 19.7 points per game in her sophomore season to go with 7.8 assists and 6.7 rebounds, and then 19.9 points per game, 8.2 assists, and 7.4 rebounds in her junior year. I felt like I completely let the team down. Sabrina's like that to this day. 6 Oregon women's basketball past No. She has played in three games with the Liberty so far. I didn't tell anyone. And we were going against the No. He and Sabrina stay connected through the Bay Area community and its youth basketball scene. As the story's author Damian Foley put it, Yes, Sabrina Elaine Ionescu, who only earned her diploma in 2019, is considered by UO fans to be one of the four greatest Ducks ever, standing alongside such greats as Marcus Mariota, Steve Prefontaine, and the alumnus who co-founded Nike and made the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact possible. She's relentless." I just walked into the locker room and knew we won. After starring for the Oregon Ducks womens college basketball team, Ionescu has since joined the New York Liberty. Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an American basketball . Just like he saw it in me. [citation needed], Ionescu was the No. [28] This announcement came shortly after Ionescu accepted a place in a newly launched one-year master's degree program in brand creation in UO's School of Journalism and Communications. Parents Ethnicity And Girlfriend, Was Karl Malone Arrested For Rape Allegations? If we ever needed a player, I would just look at Sabrina. Related Accounts. Sabrina has 24 hours after the conclusion of her season to decide whether to declare for the WNBA draft. She wants to win a national championship. She has 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the third-ranked Ducks' 74-66 win over No. (Photo . [41], On August 1, 2020, Ionescu injured her left ankle in the second quarter against the Atlanta Dream. I felt more alone. On Larkey Park's concrete court near their Walnut Creek, California, home, Sabrina and Eddy Ionescu took on unsuspecting marks in games of two-on-two. [12] According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Ionescu chose Oregon "because she wanted to be the all-American at Oregon, not just an all-American somewhere else." Growing up, they'd even speak in. She was diagnosed the next day with a[42] grade 3 sprain, and was expected to miss about one month while recovering. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of Week four times and was named USBWA National Player of the Week. Marc Spears on Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who reps his hometown on and off the court. Sabrina, his sister, plays professionally in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). [30] In a win over then #3 Stanford (8755), Ionescu scored a career high 37 points along with 11 rebounds and 7 assists, and broke Alison Lang's Oregon all-time career scoring record of 2,252 points in the third quarter. Eddy Ionescu, a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty, is Sabrina Ionescu's brother. If we didnt want somebody else knowing what I wanted to do like a pick-and-pop, or watch me in the corner, or drive to the left wed say it to each other in Romanian, Eddy said, according to The Oregonian. [37][38] Ionescu also won her second straight Naismith College Player of the Year award, Wade Trophy, Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year award, and USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award. It's her 26th career triple-double, and she makes history as the first college basketball player to compile 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. Hebard: I was like, she's always yelling! Sabrina Ionescu is an American professional basketball player signed to the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Eddy: One day when we were short I think we only had four guys warming up I asked my coach if it was all right to have my sister play with us. I went right back at him. I figured out ways to write poems about basketball the entire year. She was really small, but you could just tell she had a good skill set with her left hand. Because I think it would have been a really special run," Graves says in a news conference. That's all I said. Like Ionescu - who used to hustle grown men for Slurpee money alongside her twin brother - Taurasi is deeply, almost scarily competitive. Tyrese Haliburton Sister, Who Are His Siblings? They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra . Sabrina had her share of failures, and I think that's probably the most powerful thing a coach can give a player is the struggle. Eddy: At that time, I didn't know or she didn't know whether she was gonna leave for the WNBA. So I just remember, I said, "I'm going to stay." I played 1-on-1, collect the money, Slurpees. While everyone knows that Ionescu is a baller and can compete with the best of the best on the basketball court, some might not know that she actually has a twin brother who also plays basketball. It was tough being there and it was tough having to play a top-five matchup right after that. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She finished at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California. [Her parents] never questioned anything. There was no celebration; Ionescu went home to the apartment across the street from Oregon's basketball facility that she shares with her twin brother, Eddy. Miramonte goes 119-9 during Sabrina's tenure, and she sets the school record with 2,606 points. Her father, Dan, once met Luka Dukich, an Executive director for Chicago Bulls, while he was driving Uber in San Francisco. The two started playing basketball together when they were in grade school. The talented professional basketball player Sabrina has been the subject of rumors regarding her sexual orientation. November 11, 2022 New York Liberty guard, Sabrina Ionescu rejoins her alma mater as the director of athletic culture. They just cheered for the team and cheered for Sabrina. Everyone's watching us. Produced by Nancy Devaney and Emma Reed. Playing him was not always easy, but I do improve because he's harder to play. Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. . People were crying and just so sad. That's what I admire most about her. I was like, "Have fun in New York!". Things were just happening too quickly for them and for her. Our dad was the outlet pass, so he didn't stop it for anything. Her twin is Edward Ionescu also referred to as Eddy. Eddy: We didn't have these crazy expensive trainers, or these really nice exquisite gyms to go to, with the shooting machines and all this. I do thorough research before writing and am always up-to-date on new technologies. All Ionescu: The ultimate guide to Oregon women's basketball star Sabrina Ionescu, Trailblazers: Women coaches discuss their ascension in the men's league, POY: Ionescu is women's college basketball's player of the year, Athletes' futures: NCAA to discuss granting athletes eligibility relief. And then Kelly didn't say anything, he just handed me the papers with the stats on it and continued to have his postgame speech. ", "I started to play basketball at the age of 3, though I was just throwing the ball around. Sabrina Ionescu was born on 6th December 1997 and grew up in Walnut Creek, California, to her Romanian-American parents. Whether it was our chores, whether it was our homework, whether it was eating dinner, racing to whoever can get in bed first. . Sabrina, at the memorial: If I represented the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it. I used my older brother as inspiration to keep improving. Eddy is also a basketball player. . 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.