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WNBA All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu takes the saying “once a Duck, always a Duck” to heart because no opportunity to pay tribute to her former school ever goes to waste.
The New York Liberty guard repped the Oregon Ducks on the big stage when her team faced off against the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Playoffs.
Ionescu debuted Ducks themed Nike Sabrina 3s during game 2 of the first-round playoff matchup. The green and yellow “Ducks of a Feather” colorway had fans going to social media to plead for their release.
It’s not the sixth-year WNBA veteran’s first-time wearing Oregon themed shoes in the postseason. During New York’s 2024 championship run, Ionescu showcased Ducks’ Sabrina 2s in game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
In that game, Ionescu gave a signature performance that was inspired by Oregon football’s 2024 regular-season victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes that occurred the day prior.
“I mean after they won the way that they did, today I was like ‘Yeah, I’m gonna wear my Oregon shoes’, because I just kind of wanted to embody that tough, gritty win that they pulled off,” Ionescu said in 2024.
The shoes weren’t able to help provide the same success for the Liberty in the latest game against the Mercury that they did last postseason, however.
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New York and Phoenix are set to play in a decisive game 3 after the Mercury evened the series at a game apiece.
Leading Phoenix in the second game of the series was Ionescu’s former Oregon teammate Satou Sabally. The German forward scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Sabally is in her first season playing for the Mercury after spending the beginning of her career with the Dallas Wings. Oregon women’s basketball accomplished a rare feat in 2020 when Ionescu went No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft and Sabally went No. 2.
Despite both players’ teams struggling to make the postseason at the beginning of their professional careers, Ionescu eventually helped a stacked Liberty squad to the franchise’s first championship last season. Meanwhile, Sabally and Dallas negotiated a trade that sent her to Phoenix, where she’s trying to win a championship of her own in 2025.
The first opponent Phoenix would need to take down to accomplish its championship goals roster not only includes Sabally’s former award-winning teammate, but also her sister, Nyara Sabally, another former Oregon Duck.
The elder Sabally sister was present for the Liberty’s championship victory in 2024 to support her sister. Satou even joined Nyara on the stage during the trophy presentation ceremony.
Nyara only played in the second game of the series against the Mercury and saw limited action. Ionescu has struggled shooting from the field, shooting 4-for-20 from beyond the arc and 9-for-31 overall.
Even though the Mercury is the higher seed this postseason, it would still be a notable accomplishment if the team is able to take down the defending champions in the first round.
