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Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion and USA national team member Sabrina Ionescu is set to open her first Asian tour in the Philippines in March.
The New York Liberty standout will drop by the country to jumpstart her three-country Asian tour, where the 27-year-old sharpshooter is tipped to share her knowledge and skills with the next generation of ballers.
Ionescu, a first overall pick in 2020, will kick off her Philippine visit on March 10, participating in a panel talk with fellow Nike athletes and coaches at 3 p.m. at Nike Fort in BGC, Taguig.
On March 11, Ionescu will get to experience firsthand how Filipino hoopers play the game, taking part in an exhibition match and a three-point shootout challenge at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ionescu will then head to Guangzhou, China where she will host a basketball camp for grassroots talents before she closes her tour in Hong Kong.
“I’m excited to connect with basketball fans across Manila, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, especially young hoopers. You can feel their passion for the game, even from New York,” Ionescu said.
“Together we will celebrate the game, and I hope we inspire each other to achieve our dreams with dedication, commitment and hard work.”
The 5-foot-11 Ionescu, regarded as one of the more deadly shooters in the league, is a WNBA champion, helping New York capture its first-ever title last year against the Minnesota Lynx.
Ionescu is also an Olympic gold medalist as she was part of the USA team that won it all during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which saw them cop their country’s eighth straight gold.
—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News
