Her two brothers are. Five bucks to the winner. Auriemma: When she walks out, you go, "That kid's not gonna run by anybody, jump over anybody." See All. 4 Stanford. On November 6, 2018, Ionescu recorded her 11th triple-double in a victory against Alaska-Fairbanks. The Ducks had a lot of success with Ionescu too. 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. They broke down the game, and then. 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." She averaged 14.6 points per game to go with 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists as she was the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and ESPNWs National Freshman of the Year, according to Oregons team site. She is just driven differently. He scored six points per game as a freshman and 9.9 as a sophomore. 706k Followers, 336 Following, 107 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i) sabrina_i. They used to play football and basketball for college-level games. I'm kind of a procrastinator, so I let it get to like an hour before I had to decide. Ten years ago, Sabrina Ionescu hadn't yet turned the basketball world on its head. [23] Since that game on December 20, 2018, Ionescu has added five more triple-doubles for a season total of eight, and has broken the Oregon women's basketball assist record (formerly 608 assists) in a Pac-12 conference game against USC. In late April 2018, Ionescu and Oregon teammates Erin Boley, Otiona Gildon, and Ruthy Hebard entered the USA Basketball women's national 3x3 championship tournament at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sabrina enrolls at Oregon and for the first time lives apart from Eddy, who stays in the Bay Area and enrolls at City College of San Francisco. Liliana Blaj, Sabrina's mother: She's the hardest self-critic. The Nike Air Zoom GT Cut 2 "Sabrina Ionescu" sneaker edition is slated to be launched on October 13, 2022. As a freshman in 201213, she started 14 of 29 games and averaged 13.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.9 steals per game to help her team to a 273 record and a Northern California Section Division II runner-up finish. Playing him was not always easy, but I do improve because he's harder to play. Sopak: The car was packed and they didn't know which direction they were going. I went right back at him. Doesn't work. With her darting moves, pinpoint passes and. He was always super supportive and was like, "Don't worry, keep getting in the gym, keep getting extra shots.". 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. [31][32] In the rivalry game against Oregon State on January 24, 2020, Ionescu had 24 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds and broke Oregon State and NBA star Gary Payton's Pac-12 all-time record of 938 assists. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Dan: She will not back down from anything, and he will not back down from anything. The fact he was so angry and so aggressive with that. It's like, we're in for something special tonight. Sabrina: His mom came onto the court, and then they both got ejected. [24][25][26] In the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Ionescu leads the Ducks to their first Final Four appearance after their 8884 victory over Mississippi State. Sabrina Ionescu is one of the most highly touted college players to ever get drafted into the WNBA. Ionescu comes close to another triple-double with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. And she only got better from there, eventually leading the Ducks to a Final Four and going No. In an interview with ESPN, the presumptive No. And then we kind of just sat down and discussed what her next plan was. One of the most electric basketball players in the world (man or woman) is the WNBA star, Sabrina Ionescu. I shot 3-pointers, free throws, everything left-handed. Sabrina Ionescu and her twin brother, Eddy, have always shared a special bond that was strengthened by their shared love of basketball. They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra money. Sabrina Ionescu is an American basketball star, who plays for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). But we were all like, "OK, we got here, we know what we can do.". Sabrina Ionescu's brother Eddy Ionescu is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty. Emma Reed contributed to this report. Sabrina has 24 hours after the conclusion of her season to decide whether to declare for the WNBA draft. The scrappy kid from the Bay Area has risen to become the most formidable player in her sport. And so we'd play him in H-O-R-S-E, two-on-two, one-on-one. I mean, we still called each other every night and he knew all about what I was going through. So then I was like, "All right, we're going to Eugene.". Watching movies, drawing, and painting are some of my favorite things to do in my leisure time. I think he almost started crying, gave me a hug, everyone was super happy, and then I started school the next day. 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. Her two brothers were a big help in developing her basketball skills. Just like he saw it in me. Sabrina: That's all I talked about. If. 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}. 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. Just like his sister, Eddy also plays college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Wife And Net Worth Revealed. [3] Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. Taurasi, whose parents came to the U.S. from Argentina, says in an espnW interview that one of the similarities she sees between Ionescu and herself is "an immigrant mindset.". Seven years later, Ionescu and her twin brother, Eddy, were born. 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. With Oregon poised for a No. . Sabrina is 18 minutes older than Eddy. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 213,394 likes. Sabrina Ionescu has a twin brother named Eddy Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty dribbles up the court during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings in 2020. Christie Hemm Klok for ESPN. So Sabrina always kept her shoes with her when we went to Eddy's games. Eddy: It helped us grow into the people we are, and then we know that we always have each other to fall back on. Ionescu, a Walnut Creek, California native, grew up a Golden State Warriors fan and would drive the 16.5 miles west on CA-24 to watch her team from the stands of Oracle Arena. But then I got to know her, of course, and just know she's so competitive and always wants to win. In the season before she arrived, the average announced home attendance for the Ducks was 1,501. As the years passed, the game respected her wishes. "You just see it's a little bit different in her preparation, in her focus, in her manner," he says. " (I'm) impressed with her rebounding," Quigley said. I would just have to find ways to impact the game other than shooting or scoring, and that was passing. 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. A January 2019 mock draft by ESPN, incorporating input from WNBA personnel and ESPN women's basketball analysts, concluded that Ionescu was a possible top pick should she declare. Inhale, exhale. Graves: We had a chance. I try to score, and try to rebound and pass, and just do everything that I can to help the team. There'd be fights. I was crying, my family was upset. Her elder brother is Andrei Ionescu. In 2012, Sabrina and Eddy enroll at Miramonte High School, where Sopak coaches. Everyone was so much faster and quicker. Ionescu recorded four triple-doubles, one shy of the Pac-12 record and two less than the NCAA record. It was tough being there and it was tough having to play a top-five matchup right after that. Yeah, she doesn't miss free throws very often anymore. Like Ionescu - who used to hustle grown men for Slurpee money alongside her twin brother - Taurasi is deeply, almost scarily competitive. Graves: She commands and demands and deserves the respect that she's been given. And so I had to learn how to use the ball screens and all the frustration that comes with that. She needs to be playing on that kind of a stage. Holly Andres for ESPN. Ionescu told Insider she thinks she should be a rookie again this year, but the WNBA disagrees. And All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu is feeling as healthy and energized as she has since she joined the Liberty as the 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?" [43][44] In the end, though, she did not play again for the remainder of her first professional season. I definitely loved working with my left hand. I played 1-on-1, collect the money, Slurpees. 4 overall player in the recruiting class of 2016. [20] On December 20, 2018, Ionescu recorded her 13th triple-double in a game against Air Force and broke the NCAA triple-double record for both men's and women's basketball. 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. Ionescu also shares her knowledge with boys and girls at camps and academies, including Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy. Sabrina: We would stay in the park for hours while our parents worked. Dan: She would start, a minute here, minute there when a kid was not there. 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.. It was hard. 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". I didn't even look at the papers because I thought he just wanted me to hold them. The WNBA draft order is released in September, and the New York Liberty draw the top pick. She owns a record-setting 18 career triple-doubles - the most of any student-athlete in a single season and career. Maybe that's what drives her. Two times Pac-12 Player of the year, finished his collegiate career at the University of Oregon Ducks women's basketball team. The Ducks make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 12 years, as a 10-seed. 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. Athlete #20 @nike 24 2. Ionescu's friends and family were excited to congratulate the athlete. She was born to proud and supportive parents, Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj. Like. Sabrina Elaine Ionescu (born December 6, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Eddy: At that time, I didn't know or she didn't know whether she was gonna leave for the WNBA. [7], Ionescu was four-year varsity basketball letter winner at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California under head coach Kelly Sopak.[8]. Just show the world what we can do a little more. I used my older brother as inspiration to keep improving. Dan, Sabrina's father:[The twins] always felt comfort with each other. 107 posts. You take that on: You want to prove to everyone that you belong. After just scoring 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting in her first game, Ionescu scored 33 points on 11-of-20 shooting in her second. Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. Posts. It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes." And she usually delivers. 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. She has played in three games with the Liberty so far. [Laughs] I think she learns a lot from them, which is really cool, and she definitely brings back stuff to share with the team. Eddy: We competed in everything. According to Ducks coach Kelly Graves, in 2019 Ionescu had "a chance to be a Marcus Mariota, that level of player and an esteemed Oregon Duck when it's all said and done." Eddy Ionescu, sometimes known as Edward "Vortex" Ionescu, is a professional basketball player like her sister and followed a similar career. "Sabrina Ionescu - Forbes 30 Under 30 Profile". Sabrina: He believed in me, and he knew that this is kind of what happens your freshman year, you just figure out how you're supposed to play, what works, what doesn't work. Major is general social science. If we ever needed a player, I would just look at Sabrina. If we only knew when we could see her play her sport again. On December 6, 1997, Sabrina Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California. Sabrina: I just remember the first couple practices, always getting the ball stolen from me and not being able to get those passes through just because the level of competition was so high. 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. Dan: In middle school, they had no girls team to speak of, but they had a boys team. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, a 91-68 win against Indiana, Sabrina gets her first triple-double in a tournament game. My dad had no idea. She received the 2019 John R. Wooden Award and both the 2018 and 2019 Nancy Lieberman Award. Eddy is also a basketball player. We'd do whatever we could in order to win something. A Big 3 of Jones, Stewart and Ionescu would. [36] Ten days later in the Ducks' 7466 win at #4 Stanford, she became the first NCAA player ever with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. She becomes friends with Kobe, who mentors her, and with his daughter Gianna and her Mamba teammates. [33][34] Payton personally congratulated Ionescu on the achievement. Sabrina has 2 siblings: a twin brother, Edward, who was born 18 minutes after her, and an older brother, Andrei. Hebard: She loves Steph Curry. [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. Ionescus impressive performances throughout college included one Pac-12 record, two less than the NCAA record, and four triple-doubles. And so I was like, "All right, well this is my chance, I'm going to say something.". The talented professional basketball player Sabrina has been the subject of rumors regarding her sexual orientation. And we lost the chance to watch her tear through March like she has torn through the record books. Ionescu's Oregon Ducks also won the Pac-12 championship for the first time since 2000. Her two brothers were a big help in developing her basketball skills. Eddy Ionescu, a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty, is Sabrina Ionescu's brother. Eddy: Sabrina doesn't really like to follow the way regular people do it. On February 26, 2018, Ionescu was named ESPNW's college basketball player of the week. Sabrina: The fact that I had to fight for every rebound, because he wasn't going to give me anything easy, is kind of what I translate to my game now. Her talent hasn't gone. . [27] Ionescu finished the game with 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal. Graves: I didn't know who had her ear, quite frankly. View more on Instagram. Now, almost a full year later, the 23-year-old New York Liberty superstar thinks she deserves a new rookie . She had 16 double-doubles this season and 14 20-point games. [53], Ionescu is engaged to former Oregon football player and Las Vegas Raiders center Hroniss Grasu.[54]. She wants to win a national championship. Lying in her bed, wrapped in her gray blankets, she'll try to meditate. Basketball Player Born in California #37. Ionescu was one of the top college basketball players in the country starting in her very first college season. I did not cry. She hadn't yet rewritten the standard for her peers while inspiring the generation to come. As kids, Sabrina Ionescu and her twin brother would hustle old men at basketball courts for 7-Eleven Slurpee money. Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an American basketball . The two started playing basketball together when they were in grade school. [51] She was close with Kobe Bryant, with whom she had one-on-one training sessions, and spoke at the Kobe & Gianna Bryant Celebration of Life at the Staples Center on February 24, 2020. Marc Spears on Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who reps his hometown on and off the court. Source: Forbes Because I think it would have been a really special run," Graves says in a news conference. Eddy: That was probably one of her biggest lows. 706K followers. Wife And Net Worth Revealed. The couple used to study at the same college University of Oregon. [11] Ionescu was named a McDonald's All-America and Jordan Brand All-American selection. [40] She played her first game with the Liberty on July 25. I went to Stanford. After an. While we wait and wonder about what will be, we reflect on the moments and milestones that have already been. It's a great role model for other kids to watch and say, "That kid's doing it, not just by God-given foot speed or strength or agility, she's doing it because she's just skilled. Heading into her junior season, Sabrina has 10 triple-doubles in her career. 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. 1 ranked point guard and No. Watching it now, like, wow, a lot of my dreams have become a reality. And then someone told us about a girls club in Orinda [California]. Months go by. Sabrina: Growing up, I loved having role models and being able to look up to Steph and Kobe and players like that for inspiration. On Monday, Sabrina says goodbye to Oregon in an Instagram post: "Although our unfinished business will remain just that, I have been blessed to be a part of this journey." Sabrina is expected to be the No. Those are probably my two favorite players. She posted a triple-double in the championship game loss to Chaminade with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu selected No. 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. We talked a lot about basketball and just how to not really change the program, just how to put our footprints on the program and just make it a better place. Sabrina Elaine Ionescu (born December 6, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). 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 . In recent years, basketball phenom Sabrina Ionescu has used her talent to lead the Oregon Ducks and become the face of women's college hoops. Sabrina, his sister, plays professionally in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). 707K followers. Be Unique. She then joined the City College of San Francisco but later transferred to the University of Oregon. Stanley, Read More Stanley Wilson Jr Wife Was He Married? Edward demonstrated his talent through his victories over Utah, Oregon State, and California. Sopak: Even at that age she just had this swagger about her. And that fourth quarter, we just didn't shoot the ball well. Ionescu also held the single-game scoring record of 43 points vs. Pinewood High School while being double- and triple-teamed and the single game record in assists with 19 at Dublin High School. Hroniss Grasu and Sabrina Ionescu are a Lovely Couple. During that time, her father's wife was Liliana Blaj, who was living apart from her only husband. I just know she doesn't like to lose, and that's, you know, it's her biggest strength, but it's also her biggest weakness. 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. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft taking place this Friday, April 17. 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. 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 Ionescu's resume is long and exceptional: Two-time Pac-12 Conference player of the year; back-to-back First-Team All-American; National Player of the Year candidate; NCAA career triple-double record holder (18); probable No. Yeah, we would just go home, eat, sleep, basketball, repeat. As a sophomore in 201314, Ionescu helped her team to a 302 record.[9]. Sabrina makes an immediate impact, including 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 69-55 win against defending state champion Archbishop Mitty. No one spoke. She fell short of another triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds in the game but recorded her 2,012 career points and 810 career assists. However, these rumors are entirely false, and she is not gay. Parents Age And Net Worth Revealed. Reels. 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. With help from an Ionescu 3-pointer that puts them up by six with 1:12 left, the Ducks beat Mississippi State 88-84 in the Elite Eight to advance, at last, to the Final Four, where they play Baylor. Fell straight down. She responded by recruiting enough girls to enable her school to have a team. They never took anything for granted, especially starting warm-ups. [Her parents] never questioned anything. Indeed her legacy at Oregon had already been written. 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. 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. Sabrina Ionescu Popularity . Brother's name: Edward Ionescu "Eddy" (Twin), Andrei Ionescu: Education: Miramonte High School , University of Oregon: Height: 5 feet 11 inches (180c m) Marital Status: Unmarried: Husband/Boyfriend: NA . Sabrina Ionescu was born on 6th December 1997 and grew up in Walnut Creek, California, to her Romanian-American parents. Sabrina Ionescu is ready for a full season in the WNBA after an injury-shortened rookie year. . I do thorough research before writing and am always up-to-date on new technologies. I didn't tell anyone. 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 . With the eight she'll add in her third year in college, she will become the NCAA leader in triple-doubles. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. Graves: There are nights when I can tell she's going to get a triple-double. 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. He also appeared in games against Utah, Oregon State, and California. [52] Ionescu is also very close friends with former teammate Ruthy Hebard. After two years at the City College of San Francisco, Eddy transfers to Oregon, and he and Sabrina become roommates. Grasu is a former American football player and the Las Vegas Raiders. But if I did, they were only tears of joy. Additionally, she would receive her bachelor's degree that June. I think he's her lock screen right now actually. . Her parents fled Romania during the 1989 revolution and sought political asylum in the U.S., raising Ionescu, her twin brother and older brother in Walnut Creek, California. Sabrina Ionescu is 23 years old born on 6th December 1997 in Walnut Creek, California. 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. We would get hungry, we'd want some money. Later that month, Ionescu, Auriemma and Taurasi are among the eight people to speak at the Los Angeles memorial honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant. Too nervous to sleep. First Name Sabrina #9. His vision for me was way bigger than my own. Sabrina: I showered, I had some food. Sabrina Ionescu gets nervous. Eddy: Kobe's just wired different is what she told me. I just walked into the locker room and knew we won. [7] However, she had difficulty making a college choice, not signing a National Letter of Intent with any school during either the early signing period in November 2015 or the late period in April 2016. Scoring 26 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, she became the youngest player in WNBA history to record a triple double.