SB Nation is introducing each of the 12 members of the US Olympic Women’s Basketball team this week. Here’s what you need to know about Sabrina Ionescu, one of the WNBA’s top three-point shooters and the mastermind behind one of the most popular sneakers in the game.
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, Pick #1
All-Star Selections: 3 (2022, 2023, 2024)
Previous Olympic Appearances: N/A
College: University of Oregon
She’s the all-time triple-double leader in Division I basketball
In her four-year college career at Oregon, Sabrina Ionescu recorded 26 triple-doubles, the most all-time for both men and women. Going into her senior season, Oregon was one of the favorites to win the national championship, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA tournament was canceled. Still, Ionescu enjoyed an illustrious career — she was the first player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists, ultimately racking up 2,562 points, 1,040 rebounds, and 1,091 assists.
A week before he passed away in a tragic helicopter accident, 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’s not going to give you all these fancy dribbles that you don’t need. She understands angles, she understands defensive rotations, she understands where the next pass will come before that pass has even been made available. It was refreshing to see somebody play with such a high basketball IQ.”
She holds an NBA and a WNBA three-point contest record
Last year, Ionescu made history by scoring 37 points in the Starry 3-Point Contest — she shot 23/25 from the field, and 2/2 on extra balls. That marked the highest point total by any WNBA or NBA player at an All-Star Weekend, and her performance became a viral sensation.
As a result of that record-breaking performance, Ionescu opted to participate in a three-point contest against Steph Curry, which became a flagship event at NBA All-Star weekend, hailed as Steph vs Sabrina. She ultimately fell to Curry, scoring 26 points to his 29.
“Me and Sabrina talked about how cool of an opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our game,” Curry said after the game. “And for her to have a presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either one of us. Wherever it goes from there, we know we can kind of plant our flag as doing something really special.”
Her Sabrina 1 sneakers have been widely praised by players
Ionescu is one of just a handful of WNBA players with their own signature shoe, and the shoe has boomed in popularity. More than 100 NBA players have sported the Sabrina 1s this year, including stars like Jrue Holiday, Jalen Brunson, and Tyrese Haliburton. Among NBA players, her shoes were worn for 18,425 on-court minutes (approximately 383 games), ranked fourth in popularity with 955 appearances, per Sportscasting.
In February, Ionescu thanked the Maverick’s Dereck Lively for wearing her shoes, prompting the rookie to respond: “Thank you for making them that comfortable.”
She’s 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 complete season in 2021.
But, 2023 marked a career shooting year for Ionescu, who shot 44.8% from three and made the most three-pointers by any WNBA player in a single season.
This year, Ionescu’s three-point shooting has declined — she’s shot 34.8% from three — but she’s still averaged a career-high 19.4 points per game. In large part thanks to her all-around play, the Liberty have the league’s best record at 21-4.
“I have my three-point shot but to continue to help the team to be able to just manipulate defenses and get into the paint which allows the extra pass, defenses to collapse,” she said after a game in May. “My ability to go up, get fouled and understanding that sometimes the three-point shots [are] not going to go in and sometimes defenses are going to guard it really well.”
Most recently, Ionescu was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for July.
