[21][22] She was later named ESPNW Player of the Week. Sabrina: Growing up, I loved having role models and being able to look up to Steph and Kobe and players like that for inspiration. Sabrina Ionescu has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager. It's awesome to be part of a team that has accomplished that. . Playing people for money, for Slurpees, whatever it was. !#GoDucks . "My Romanian heritage influences my life on a daily basis and is something that I find pride in," she says. Parents Ethnicity And Girlfriend, Was Karl Malone Arrested For Rape Allegations? Sabrina Ionescu- Professional Life, Career, Awards Blog . I shot 3-pointers, free throws, everything left-handed. Ten years ago, Sabrina Ionescu hadn't yet turned the basketball world on its head. Additionally, she would receive her bachelor's degree that June. Being able to grow up, have the same friends, play the same sports and do everything together is really fun. However, these rumors are entirely false, and she is not gay. Just being able to, you know, have that platform now at Oregon is something that kind of sparks me to try to just voice my opinion on social media. After they went 23-14 in 2016-17, Oregon went 33-5 in 2017-18 and 2018-19. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu rejoins her alma mater as the director of athletic culture, the program announced Friday. ", "I started to play basketball at the age of 3, though I was just throwing the ball around. Playing basketball with her older brother, Andrei, and her twin brother, Eddy, had taught her the joy of clawing for every rebound, every point. The Ducks administer a historic walloping, beating the Huskies 74-56 for their worst loss ever at Gampel. Sabrina Ionescu is an American basketball star, who plays for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is also the NCAAs all-time triple-double leader with 26, and she is fourth on the all-time NCAA womens list in career assists with 1,091. Marc Spears on Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who reps his hometown on and off the court. We'd do whatever we could in order to win something. Sabrina and her brother are both "fairly fluent" in Romanian. Sabrina became the first college basketball player to compile 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists the same day she spoke at Kobe and Gianna Bryant's memorial. "She's an unbelievable talent on that team," Curry would go on to say in a Warriors news conference. We talked a lot about basketball and just how to not really change the program, just how to put our footprints on the program and just make it a better place. I gained a lot of experience playing on my brothers' 10-foot hoop. Graves: She claims that she thought I cried. Eddy: I wasn't too jealous of the people she's met until Steph and Kobe. I was like, "Have fun in New York!". I know on one Instagram post she kind of talked about, you know, "I let my basketball do the cooking," or whatever the case. Sabrina Ionescu and longtime beau Hroniss Grasu are "finally" getting married! Sabrina Ionescu Net Worth. Prior to his career as a Duck, he appeared in 63 games at City College of San Francisco, where he averaged 9.9 points per game in 2018. Sabrina: I took a few unofficials. And then I started reading them and I was like, "Oh, I got a triple-double.". Sabrina: If we really, really got into it, there'd be blood. She becomes friends with Kobe, who mentors her, and with his daughter Gianna and her Mamba teammates. He just eats, sleeps, loves everything about basketball, which is literally the same thing with her. 706k Followers, 336 Following, 107 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i) sabrina_i. Eddy: One of my favorite memories of Sabrina and I growing up was just going to the park. [7], Ionescu was four-year varsity basketball letter winner at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California under head coach Kelly Sopak.[8]. Ionescu went to a middle school where there weren't . Eddy has since joined Oregons team. I thought it was, like, freshman duties or something. National Signing Day passes, and as the only undeclared player in the McDonald's All American game;, she is named MVP after making seven 3-pointers en route to 25 points and 10 rebounds. Like. Sabrina Ionescu is an American professional basketball player signed to the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). [52] Ionescu is also very close friends with former teammate Ruthy Hebard. [47] Ionescu had never before played under FIBA 3x3 rules, admitting after the tournament, "I had to ask the rules before the games started. Also Read:Tyrese Haliburton Sister, Who Are His Siblings? Sabrina: It was between Oregon and Washington, and I had no idea. Sabrina: I just don't really like to be out there like that. The Athletics Shams Charania reported that she is expected to miss approximately one month as she has a Grade 3 left ankle sprain. He was always super supportive and was like, "Don't worry, keep getting in the gym, keep getting extra shots.". Graves: She commands and demands and deserves the respect that she's been given. But when she was a kid, she and her twin brother, Eddy Ionescu, would channel the future Oregon Duck's on-court flair for a far less righteous end goal. She has a twin brother named Eddy who played basketball at City College of San Francisco. 707K followers. 1 By New York Liberty In WNBA Draft", "Sabrina Ionescu's sneaky way of seeing best friend Ruthy Hebard in the 'wubble', https://wikiodin.com/who-is-sabrina-ionescu-boyfriend-5-things-to-know-about-hroniss-grasu/, Naismith Women's College Player of the Year, USBWA Women's National Player of the Year Award, John R. Wooden Women's Player of the Year Award, Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, USBWA National Freshman of the Year Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sabrina_Ionescu&oldid=1142714116, All-American college women's basketball players, Basketball players at the 2019 Pan American Games, Pan American Games 3x3 basketball players, Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States, Pan American Games medalists in basketball, Sportspeople from Walnut Creek, California, Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars, Women's National Basketball Association first-overall draft picks, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Only NCAA player with career 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds (in women's and men's), This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 00:08. The couple used to study at the same college University of Oregon. Liliana: I still feel like I'm just living in dreams, especially at the bigger games, and when I know that next year she's going to join a professional team, it's something that I never thought was going to happen. And so he starts bawling, and then I start crying. Hebard: When they came out with the draft, I texted her. She needs to be playing on that kind of a stage. Major is general social science. I took Washington, Oregon State, Oregon, Cal. Oregon Ducks point guard Sabrina Ionescu sits down with Maria Taylor and opens up about the strong bond she has with her twin brother Eddy Ionescu and her pa. Related Accounts. She's not the biggest, quickest, fastest, strongest. Before she was born, her family fled Romania during the communist revolution, and Sabrina and her twin brother Eddy were born in Walnut Creek, California on Dec. 6, 1997. Sabrina: I showered, I had some food. Sabrina: His mom came onto the court, and then they both got ejected. As the years passed, the game respected her wishes. Sabrina Ionescu is the first NCAA player EVER with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds! Sabrina: Work ethic and dedication, I learned that from my parents. Christie Hemm Klok for ESPN. Ionescu, a Walnut Creek, California native, grew up a Golden State Warriors fan and would drive the 16.5 miles west on CA-24 to watch her team from the stands of Oracle Arena. 1 pick in the 2020 draft. Doesn't work. 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 . Oregon coach Kelly Graves has developed a sense for nights when his star will get a triple-double. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. Sabrina's ancestry is Romanian-Caucasian and has a twin brother, Edward. His sister, Sabrina, is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) professional). In the postgame interview, she calls out ESPN: "It probably still won't get recognized because ESPN never recognizes women's sports. She did believe every word she wrote [in her speech when she was 12]. Sabrina: We would stay in the park for hours while our parents worked. A Big 3 of Jones, Stewart and Ionescu would. So then I was like, "All right, we're going to Eugene.". Posts. Children Age And Net WorthContinue, Joki Octaviano Accident caused death after having life-threatening injuries. Eddy Ionescu, aka Edward 'Vortex' Ionescu, followed the same path as her sister and is a professional basketball player like her sister. My family has always been there for inspiration to keep pushing and one day become a WNBA player.". As Sabrina processes her grief, she dedicates her season and everything that comes next to Kobe. Then he called me and said, "Where are you?" In the historic game against Stanford, Ionescu made NCAA history. But we were all like, "OK, we got here, we know what we can do.". She was named Pac-12 Freshman of Week four times and was named USBWA National Player of the Week. Sabrina-Ionescu with her team meat. Sabrina logged 15.0 points per game in her career and 17.4 in 2022 through 36 games thus far this season. You just walk away, you mind your own business. She has recorded 10-assist games 13 times this season, handing out a league season-high 14 twice. And we were going against the No. Sabrina: I remember I was in the front yard with Eddy, and he was like, "My left hand's better than yours." Sabrina: Obviously that was tough. Regardless, if I had to be home for dinner at 8, we'd play 'til 9, until I would win, and then I'd be like, "All right, we can go home now.". 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." He has an older brother named Nico, who was a placekicker for Washington State from 2008 to 2010. Hebard: I think it's needed. Very indecisive. He'd come to visit, but not having him always to talk to in person was a lot different for me. [49] At the World Cup, they were the youngest team in the field, but swept their pool, defeating Cup holders Russia along the way. Too nervous to sleep. She is clearly in a happy relationship with Grasu and is excited to take the next step in their journey together. She's worked at it. In May 2021, she recorded her first professional triple-double with 12 assists, 26 points, and ten rebounds. I think that, you know, college, even high school girls, athletes, need to step up and say, "Hey, we deserve this," "Hey, do you see what I'm doing?" We would get hungry, we'd want some money. In the season before she arrived, the average announced home attendance for the Ducks was 1,501. Her soon-to-be favorite player entered the league in 2009, when the Warriors used the No. Sabrina, his sister, plays professionally in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Ionescu started at Oregon the year after Grasu was drafted. [3], On November 13, 2016, Ionescu made her collegiate debut for Oregon, recording 11 points in an 8467 win over Lamar. He also appeared in games against Utah, Oregon State, and California. Sabrina: I could tell Eddy was really nervous. Eddy: That was probably one of her biggest lows. [Her parents] never questioned anything. On November 6, 2018, Ionescu recorded her 11th triple-double in a victory against Alaska-Fairbanks. It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes." It's crazy to see everything come full circle and see how young I was and the dreams that I had and Sabrina is expected to be the No. Furthermore, Ionescu and her team finished as the Northern California Section Division II runner-up team. Verified. It was definitely tough. Source: Forbes In an interview with ESPN, the presumptive No. She was born to proud and supportive parents, Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj. Joki was a Pilipino motorbike enthusiast who, Read More Joki Octaviano Accident And Cause Of Death How Did He Die? On the morning of Jan. 26, 2020, the sports world stands still when news breaks that Kobe and Gigi Bryant are among the nine passengers killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. 213,394 likes. . [14] Following her second season, she was named the Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, and was also named a first team All-American by ESPN. Eddy: Kobe's just wired different is what she told me. 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. I didn't tell anyone. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. Children Age And Net Worth, Joki Octaviano Accident And Cause Of Death How Did He Die? Kobe was helping her with that because he saw it in her. They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra . I'm torn.". [12] According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Ionescu chose Oregon "because she wanted to be the all-American at Oregon, not just an all-American somewhere else." As a sophomore in 201314, Ionescu helped her team to a 302 record.[9]. She has a twin brother Edward ("Eddy"), who was born 18 minutes after her. So I figured that if I could rebound, I would be able to get the ball myself. Stanley, Read More Stanley Wilson Jr Wife Was He Married? Sabrina Ionescu gets nervous. Auriemma: When she walks out, you go, "That kid's not gonna run by anybody, jump over anybody." While everyone knows that Ionescu is a baller and can compete with the best of the best on the basketball court, some might not know that she actually has a twin brother who also plays basketball. 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. During her junior year, Ionescu averaged 18.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.7 steals per game, and helped Miramonte High School to a 302 record with an appearance in the CIF open division semifinals. The Nike Air Zoom GT Cut 2 "Sabrina Ionescu" sneaker edition is slated to be launched on October 13, 2022. Sabrina: He believed in me, and he knew that this is kind of what happens your freshman year, you just figure out how you're supposed to play, what works, what doesn't work. Edward demonstrated his talent through his victories over Utah, Oregon State, and California. When they were kids, the two used to even hustle older men on the basketball court so that they could get money for Slurpees. Sabrina: I don't really think I grasped what it would be like. Id play H-O-R-S-E, collect the money, Slurpees. Ionescu was one of the top college basketball players in the country starting in her very first college season. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. And we lost the chance to watch her tear through March like she has torn through the record books. . Speaking of which. We didn't really talk about the game for a little while. [11] Ionescu was named a McDonald's All-America and Jordan Brand All-American selection. If he won, we'd play again. Eddy: Summers in California were just basketball and sleep, pretty much. If. 1 in W.N.B.A. I was crying, my family was upset. [47] Ionescu and her Oregon teammates would be named as the US team for the 2018 3x3 World Cup to be held in June in the Philippines. Holly Andres for ESPN. 1 in the preseason Top 25, the spotlight on Sabrina is brighter than ever. Reels. Nothing is ever given to us now. When she's losing a game, you do not talk to her. Watching movies, drawing, and painting are some of my favorite things to do in my leisure time. I mean, we still called each other every night and he knew all about what I was going through. If we ever needed a player, I would just look at Sabrina. In recent years, basketball phenom Sabrina Ionescu has used her talent to lead the Oregon Ducks and become the face of women's college hoops. Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles, "Nike signs #1 pick Sabrina Ionescu to multiyear endorsement deal", "Sabrina Ionescu joins Oregon Ducks in part-time role", "Sabrina Ionescu - Forbes 30 Under 30 Profile", List of NCAA Division I basketball career triple-doubles leaders, List of NCAA Division I women's basketball career assists leaders, "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu makes history against Stanford", "Sabrina Ionescu: 4 facts about the Oregon women's basketball scoring, assists leader", "Miramonte alum Sabrina Ionescu returns to Bay Area with Oregon", "Her middle school said to play with dolls. Liliana Blaj, Sabrina's mother: She's the hardest self-critic. Ionescu attended a middle school that did not have enough players to field a girls' team, and her school refused to allow her to play on the boys' team. [3] Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. I appreciated it. She fell short of another triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and 9 rebounds in the game but recorded her 2,012 career points and 810 career assists. They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra money. Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj, her proud parents, welcomed her into the world. Eddy Ionescu, sometimes known as Edward "Vortex" Ionescu, is a professional basketball player like her sister and followed a similar career. ', The mind, body and soul of the WWE's Charlotte Flair, Bam Adebayo is the fiercest, best NBA player you don't know. Cinematography by Monica May; Movement Coaching by Duray Thirdgill; Prop Styling by Dan Jesperson; Production by Amy Ground; Hair & Makeup by Celena Rubin. And so I had to learn how to use the ball screens and all the frustration that comes with that. What she had done, as a 12-year-old member of the Toastmasters International Club, was write a speech titled "How My Basketball Dreams Began. . Her father, Dan, once met Luka Dukich, an Executive director for Chicago Bulls, while he was driving Uber in San Francisco. Eddy Ionescu, aka Edward 'Vortex' Ionescu, followed the same path as her sister and is a professional basketball player like her sister. I had to let her be, just because I knew her draft decision was coming up. Photo by Serena Morones . "Swear to God, we . Her father's name is Dan Ionescu who fled Communist Romania around the time of the 1989 revolution. View more on Instagram. A January 2019 mock draft by ESPN, incorporating input from WNBA personnel and ESPN women's basketball analysts, concluded that Ionescu was a possible top pick should she declare. I applaud her. About. Despite having only played for three seasons at this point, Ionescu was eligible for the 2019 WNBA draft by age. She debuted for Oregon in November 2016, scoring 11 points in a win over Lamar. Her twin, Edward also played basketball at the City College of San Francisco and was solely a student in the 2018-19 school year, before walking on to the Ducks men's basketball team in 2019-20. Fell straight down. 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. We were always so competitive, and I think it's 'cause we were the same age. Meta. Sabrina Ionescu selected No. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, a 91-68 win against Indiana, Sabrina gets her first triple-double in a tournament game. The Ionescus have certainly made a name for themselves in the basketball world. [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]. With help from an Ionescu 3-pointer that puts them up by six with 1:12 left, the Ducks beat Mississippi State 88-84 in the Elite Eight to advance, at last, to the Final Four, where they play Baylor. She has played in three games with the Liberty so far. They never took anything for granted, especially starting warm-ups. Ionescu left Miramonte with a career winloss record of 1199 and a school-record 2,606 points scored. Small and stubborn, she willed her game to improve. 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." Eddy is also a basketball player. Her elder brother is Andrei Ionescu. As a senior, Ionescu averaged 17.5 points per game, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds. Ionescu also played for the University of Oregons womens basketball team. The New York Liberty guard, 25, shared on Saturday that she and the Las Vegas Raiders center, 31, are set to wed. "It . [19] Twelve days later, she would tie the NCAA triple-double record, with her 12th triple-double in a win against Buffalo. Kind of like describing Sue [Bird]. She was born with her twin brother named Edward also called Eddy, who was born only 18 minutes after the birth of Sabrina. [31][32] In the rivalry game against Oregon State on January 24, 2020, Ionescu had 24 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds and broke Oregon State and NBA star Gary Payton's Pac-12 all-time record of 938 assists. Her twin is Edward Ionescu also referred to as Eddy. [30] In a win over then #3 Stanford (8755), Ionescu scored a career high 37 points along with 11 rebounds and 7 assists, and broke Alison Lang's Oregon all-time career scoring record of 2,252 points in the third quarter. 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. There was no celebration; Ionescu went home to the apartment across the street from Oregon's basketball facility that she shares with her twin brother, Eddy. Ionescu leads the Ducks with 15 points and eight rebounds, but the Huskies win 90-52. Ionescu finally committed to Oregon just before the school's 2016 summer term began, driving with her father for 8 hours from their Bay Area home to Eugene, making an unannounced visit to Matthew Knight Arena and telling head coach Kelly Graves that she would join the team. She completed her high school education in Miramonte, California, before attending the University of Oregon in Oregon. Eddy: Sabrina doesn't really like to follow the way regular people do it. Playing him was not always easy, but I do improve because he's harder to play. [citation needed], Ionescu was the No. Yeah, we would just go home, eat, sleep, basketball, repeat. When I found out Sabrina had a twin brother, Eddy, I immediately knew I wanted to interview them together because they . Yeah, she doesn't miss free throws very often anymore. Edward has also developed . Seriously, word-for-word." Ionescu recorded four triple-doubles, one shy of the Pac-12 record and two less than the NCAA record. It was tough being there and it was tough having to play a top-five matchup right after that. 'So I made this deal with God. After the NCAA made the extraordinary decision last week to cancel its tournaments, The ultimate guide to Oregon women's basketball star Sabrina Ionescu, Women coaches discuss their ascension in the men's league, Ionescu is women's college basketball's player of the year, NCAA to discuss granting athletes eligibility relief, Why Megan Rapinoe's brother Brian is her greatest heartbreak, and hope, Whatever happened to Villanova basketball star Shelly Pennefather? New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Sets Multiple WNBA Records in Historic Game Among the first was her friend Vanessa. Eddy: We were together when she made that decision. 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. No posts yet. [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. His vision for others is always bigger than that for themselves. Just because I knew she tasted how close it was to winning that national championship.