Photo by Serena Morones . Sabrina: Growing up, I loved having role models and being able to look up to Steph and Kobe and players like that for inspiration. Christie Hemm Klok for ESPN. It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes." Just like he saw it in me. Athlete #20 @nike 24 2. 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. 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}. , Read More Demetress Bell Wife Is He Married? 3 Oregon arrives for the first time at Gampel Pavilion for a matchup against No. Sabrina is a basketball player now engaged with the former American football player Hroniss Grasu. Ionescu has been in a relationship with her boyfriend, Hroniss Grasu, for a long time. They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra . 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft taking place this Friday, April 17. At the end of the regular season, she was named Pac-12 Freshmen of the Year and unanimous First Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection. Ionescus impressive performances throughout college included one Pac-12 record, two less than the NCAA record, and four triple-doubles. And nothing was ever given to us as kids. Sagittarius . Later that month, Ionescu, Auriemma and Taurasi are among the eight people to speak at the Los Angeles memorial honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant. She averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and first in assists. 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. A lot of the Pac-12 schools, just 'cause I knew I kind of wanted to stay closer to home. 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. Eddy: One of my favorite memories of Sabrina and I growing up was just going to the park. She's not the biggest, quickest, fastest, strongest. Dan, Sabrina's father:[The twins] always felt comfort with each other. Sabrina Ionescu is a professional basketball player holding American nationality who plays professionally with the (WNBA) which stands for Women's National Basketball Association located in New York Liberty. 706k Followers, 336 Following, 107 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i) sabrina_i. Sabrina: It was between Oregon and Washington, and I had no idea. The following year, Sabrina leads the Pac-12 in points and assists, and the Ducks earn a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament. "Sabrina Ionescu joins Oregon Ducks in part-time role". Sabrina and her brother are both "fairly fluent" in Romanian. Just like his sister, Eddy also plays college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. "She's an unbelievable talent on that team," Curry would go on to say in a Warriors news conference. So we were kind of just banking that it was gonna be her last year. Sopak: Sabrina didn't start until halfway through her freshman year, and 99 out of 100 parents would have been calling a meeting saying, "My daughter's the best player on the floor. 1 overall WNBA pick and owns too many UO program records to count. Ionescu comes close to another triple-double with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Stanley, Read More Stanley Wilson Jr Wife Was He Married? And I was like, "I'm by the hotel here." On Feb. 3, with so many still in mourning, No. [16] Ionescu became NCAA women's all-time leader in triple-doubles,[17] trailing only former BYU men's player Kyle Collinsworth (with 12) among all NCAA players.[18]. See All. Eddy: I wasn't too jealous of the people she's met until Steph and Kobe. Sabrina's like that to this day. Ionescus stellar play in college led to her becoming the No. 2 Duke en route to an improbable Elite Eight matchup against top-seeded UConn. Sabrina Ionescu and her father Dan Ionescu (Source: OregonLive) I went on a walk and just tried to clear my mind to figure out what I wanted to do. Dan: She would start, a minute here, minute there when a kid was not there. Sabrina Ionescu's Family Background Explored. Her father's name is Dan Ionescu who fled Communist Romania around the time of the 1989 revolution. She takes to heart what people say, their comments. Death Cause And Mental HealthContinue, Katrina Gorry Partner Clara Markstedt is a Swedish football player who competes for Vittsjo GIK. They just cheered for the team and cheered for Sabrina. Interested shoppers can easily buy them . It might have been 1 or 2 in the morning when Sabrina and I were on the phone when she had decided where she was going to go and just said, "I'll just surprise them when I get there." With her darting moves, pinpoint passes and. After starring for the Oregon Ducks womens college basketball team, Ionescu has since joined the New York Liberty. [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. As a kid, Ionescu was always competitive, playing sports with and against her twin brother Eddy. Playing people for money, for Slurpees, whatever it was. When she's losing a game, you do not talk to her. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. He scored six points per game as a freshman and 9.9 as a sophomore. We print the highest quality ionescu t-shirts on the internet And that was it. [10] Ionescu also made a first half buzzer beating shot from half court. EUGENE, Ore. Sabrina Ionescu woke not long after dawn in her small apartment, laced up her black Nikes and walked across a deserted street to the looming arena where she had . Eddy: It was always kind of on the basketball court when we fought. [Her parents] never questioned anything. Joki was a Pilipino motorbike enthusiast who, Read More Joki Octaviano Accident And Cause Of Death How Did He Die? 1 defensive team. She responded by recruiting enough girls to enable her school to have a team. Is the twin brother of Duck women's basketball superstar Sabrina Ionescu, who was the 2019 Wooden Award and Wade Trophy winner and holds the NCAA career triple-double record for both men and women . Eddy is also a basketball player. Hroniss Grasu is currently dating his girlfriend Sabrina Ionescu who is most known for having played for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association is the all-time leading scorer in the NCAA and a gold medalist at the FIBA Americas U-16 competition (WNBA). Whoever came walking up to the park, we're like, "All right, we'll pick on this guy." She always wanted to learn and to go to every game she could -- college, NBA, WNBA. In the season before she arrived, the average announced home attendance for the Ducks was 1,501. Just because I knew she tasted how close it was to winning that national championship. The talented professional basketball player Sabrina has been the subject of rumors regarding her sexual orientation. Dan: Here's one thing that I've learned through the years with Sabrina. He once played at the City College of San Francisco before moving to Oregon, where he joined the Ducks men's team in 2019-20. Because they knew exactly how it was gonna start. Required fields are marked *. Sabrina: I love having a relationship with [Curry], just being able to remember when I was little, watching him and kind of emulating my game after him, to now being able to call him or text him any time that I need help with something. [13], Ionescu rose to national prominence in her sophomore year, she led the Ducks to their third regular-season league crown all-time and first-ever No. Months go by. Furthermore, Ionescu and her team finished as the Northern California Section Division II runner-up team. 1 seed in the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament. Young NBA athlete Aaron Nesmiths family, dating life, and, Read More Aaron Nesmith Brother Eddie Nesmith, Parents Girlfriend And InstagramContinue, People are curious about Demetress Bell wife, whether the defensive back has been married or not. While we wait and wonder about what will be, we reflect on the moments and milestones that have already been. Sabrina Ionescu had 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists Sunday to lead Oregon to an 88-84 win over Mississippi State in the Portland Regional final at Moda Center. Like [laughs], why's she yelling at open gym? Sabrina Ionescu was born on 6th December 1997 and grew up in Walnut Creek, California, to her Romanian-American parents. [28] This announcement came shortly after Ionescu accepted a place in a newly launched one-year master's degree program in brand creation in UO's School of Journalism and Communications. [19] Twelve days later, she would tie the NCAA triple-double record, with her 12th triple-double in a win against Buffalo. I just walked into the locker room and knew we won. Eddy Ionescu, sometimes known as Edward "Vortex" Ionescu, is a professional basketball player like her sister and followed a similar career. It's crazy to see everything come full circle and see how young I was and the dreams that I had and They make it to the Elite Eight again before falling to eventual champion Notre Dame. I would just have to find ways to impact the game other than shooting or scoring, and that was passing. She was born to Romanian-American parents, Dan Lonescu and Liliana Blaj. The Ducks administer a historic walloping, beating the Huskies 74-56 for their worst loss ever at Gampel. Very indecisive. Her two brothers are. "Sabrina Ionescu - Forbes 30 Under 30 Profile". November 14, 2022 Sabrina Ionescu makes Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Sports. 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. [3] Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. Our dad was the outlet pass, so he didn't stop it for anything. She led the Pac-12 in scoring (19.2) and assists, dishing out 7.8 assists per game which was fifth-most in the country. [1] 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 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career.[2]. [7], Ionescu was four-year varsity basketball letter winner at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California under head coach Kelly Sopak.[8]. Sabrina Ionescu brother, Edward, is also a basketball player. 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. 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. Death Cause And Mental Health, Katrina Gorry Partner Clara Markstedt Is A Soccer Player Children and Age Revealed, Aaron Nesmith Brother Eddie Nesmith, Parents Girlfriend And Instagram, Demetress Bell Wife Is He Married? 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. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. With Oregon poised for a No. The Ducks lead by a point after the first half, but strong post play propels the Bears, who hold Ionescu scoreless in the fourth quarter to win 72-67. Kobe was helping her with that because he saw it in her. She brought one of Kobe's books into the locker room, and we all looked at it. Not only were they difficult to guard while growing up, but they also, at times, communicated in fluent Romanian, according to The Oregonian. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of Week four times and was named USBWA National Player of the Week. She was born to proud and supportive parents, Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj. Forward Ruthy Hebard bought into her best friend's mission of changing the culture at Oregon. And so I had to learn how to use the ball screens and all the frustration that comes with that. When I was younger, I was always playing with the guys, and I had to find ways to get the ball, because they never wanted to pass to me. 1 by New York Liberty in WNBA draft, while Gianna Bryant is an honorary pick . She has a twin brother named Eddy who played basketball at City College of San Francisco. 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". Sabrina: We're built-in best friends. There is no related content available. I was like, "I just don't know. I don't think his mom really appreciated that. As the story's author Damian Foley put it, Yes, Sabrina Elaine Ionescu, who only earned her diploma in 2019, is considered by UO fans to be one of the four greatest Ducks ever, standing alongside such greats as Marcus Mariota, Steve Prefontaine, and the alumnus who co-founded Nike and made the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact possible. 1 pick in Friday's WNBA Draft . Her name hadn't yet become synonymous with the term "triple-double." Speaking of which. ", "I started to play basketball at the age of 3, though I was just throwing the ball around. Sabrina Ionescu is ready for a full season in the WNBA after an injury-shortened rookie year. 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." Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, California, to Romanian-American parents. I played 1-on-1, collect the money, Slurpees. In 2012, Sabrina and Eddy enroll at Miramonte High School, where Sopak coaches. Additionally, she was awarded the USBWA National Freshman of the Year presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association. And All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu is feeling as healthy and energized as she has since she joined the Liberty as the No.