I can still hear the ESPN announcer’s voice screaming, “And hit! And hit! Sabrina Ionescu, with the biggest shot in Liberty history!” as the New York Liberty point guard sunk a deep three-point shot to win game three of the WNBA finals.
It was a huge moment from a player known for huge moments, and paved the way for the New York Liberty to win their first-ever championship ring in game five of the series. But it hardly came as a surprise from the woman who, as a child, challenged adults to pickup games—and won. The player who, in her final year at the University of Oregon, led her team to a 31-2 record, before the COVID-19 pandemic cut her national title dreams short. (But it didn’t stop her from becoming the only player in NCAA history—male or female—with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists.)
Ionescu went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, and has been instrumental in getting the New York Liberty to the finals the past two years. She also shot to stardom last year after scoring 37 points in the WNBA three-point contest—the most scored in both the WNBA or NBA three-point contest—besting Steph Curry’s previous record of 31 points.
Off the court, she is focused on nurturing the next generation of players, hosting the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase for girls basketball. And she is also known for having signature Nike shoes—the Sabrina 1s, released in 2023, and the Sabrina 2s, which dropped this past summer.
