SB Nation is taking a look at each of the 12 members of the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team this week, and here’s what you need to know about Sabrina Ionescu, one of the WNBA’s top three-point shooters and creator of one of the game’s most popular sneakers.
Fast Facts
team: New York Liberty (21-4)
Regular Season Stats: 19.4 points (42.2%), 6.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1 steal
position: Guard
Draft Class: 2020, No. 1
All-Star Selection: 3 (2022, 2023, 2024)
Past Olympic Games: Not applicable
College: University of Oregon
She holds the record for most triple-doubles in Division I basketball history.
Sabrina Ionescu recorded 26 triple-doubles during her four years at Oregon, the most in college history for either a male or female player. Heading into her senior season, Oregon was one of the favorites to win the national championship, but the NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ionescu still had a stellar career. First Player He became the first player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, finishing with 2,562 points, 1,040 rebounds and 1,091 assists.
A week before his death in a tragic helicopter crash, Kobe Bryant praised Sabrina Ionescu for the way she approached the game. In an interview with the University of Oregon.
“She just reads the game,” Bryant said. “She doesn’t do any fancy dribbles that she doesn’t need. She understands the angles, she understands the defensive rotations, she understands where the next pass is going to be before it even gets to her. It was refreshing to see a player with that high basketball IQ.”
She holds the NBA and WNBA three-point contest records.
Last year, Ionescu made history by scoring 37 points in the Starry Three-Point Contest, hitting 23 of 25 field goals and 2 of 2 extra balls, the most points by a WNBA or NBA player during All-Star Weekend, and her performance became a talking point online.
As a result of this record-breaking performance, Ionescu chose to participate in a three-point contest with Stephen Curry, which became the highlight of the NBA All-Star Weekend and was dubbed Stephen vs. Sabrina. Ionescu ultimately lost to Curry, finishing with 26 points to Curry’s 29 points.
“Sabrina and I talked about what an incredible opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our sport,” Curry said after the game, “and having her on this stage is going to be a huge inspiration to the next generation of boys and girls who want to identify with either of us and compete. Whatever the future holds, I’m confident we’ll be able to fly the flag that we’re doing something really special.”
Her Sabrina 1 sneakers are highly praised by players.
Ionescu is one of the few WNBA players with her own signature shoe, and it has skyrocketed in popularity. More than 100 NBA players have worn the Sabrina 1 this year, including stars like Jrue Holiday, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. Among NBA players, her shoes have been worn for 18,425 on-court minutes (approximately 383 games) and rank fourth in popularity with 955 appearances. Sportscasting.
In February, Ionescu thanked Mavericks forward Derek Lively for wearing her shoes, to which the rookie responded, “Thanks for making them comfortable.”
She is in the midst of a career season.
Expectations were sky-high for Sabrina Ionescu when she first entered the league in 2020. She missed most of that first year with injury and struggled in her first full season in 2021.
But 2023 was the best year of Ionescu’s career, as she shot 44.8 percent from three-point range and made the most three-pointers of any WNBA player in a single season.
Though Ionescu’s 3-point shooting percentage has dropped this year (34.8 percent), she is still averaging a career-best 19.4 points per game, and her all-around play has led the Liberty to a league-best 21-4 record.
“I’m a good 3-pointer, but I need to continue to help my team by manipulating the defense and getting into the paint and making that extra pass and breaking down the defense,” she said after a game in May. “My ability to get forward and get fouled and make 3-pointers sometimes is a challenge.” [are] It doesn’t go in the goal and sometimes the defense does a really good job of defending it.”
Ionescu was recently named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for July.
