SB Nation is introducing every of the 12 members of the US Olympic Ladies’s Basketball crew this week. Right here’s what it’s essential learn about Sabrina Ionescu, one of many WNBA’s high three-point shooters and the mastermind behind one of the crucial fashionable sneakers the sport.
Quick Information
Crew: New York Liberty (21-4)
Common Season Stats: 19.4 factors (42.2%), 6.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1 steal
Place: Guard
Draft Class: 2020, Choose #1
All-Star Picks: 3 (2022, 2023, 2024)
Earlier Olympic Appearances: N/A
School: College of Oregon
She’s the all-time triple-double chief in Division I basketball
In her four-year faculty profession at Oregon, Sabrina Ionescu recorded 26 triple-doubles, essentially the most all-time for each women and men. Going into her senior season, Oregon was one of many favorites to win the nationwide championship, however as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA event was canceled. Nonetheless, Ionescu loved an illustrious profession — she was the first participant in NCAA historical past to achieve 2,000 factors, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists, finally racking up 2,562 factors, 1,040 rebounds and 1,091 assists.
Every week earlier than he handed away in a tragic helicopter accident, Kobe Bryant praised Sabrina Ionescu for the way in which she approached the sport in an interview with the College of Oregon.
“She simply reads the sport,” Bryant stated. “She’s not going to provide you all these fancy dribbles that you just don’t want. She understands angles, she understands defensive rotations, she understands the place the following cross will come earlier than that cross has even been made accessible. It was refreshing to see any individual play with such a excessive basketball IQ.”
She holds an NBA and a WNBA three-point contest file
Final 12 months, Ionescu made historical past by scoring 37 factors within the Starry 3-Level Contest — she shot 23/25 from the sphere, and a couple of/2 on additional balls. That marked the best level whole by any WNBA or NBA participant at an All-Star Weekend, and her efficiency grew to become a viral sensation.
On account of that record-breaking efficiency, Ionescu opted to take part in a three-point contest towards Steph Curry, which grew to become a flagship occasion at NBA All-Star weekend, hailed as Steph vs Sabrina. She finally fell to Curry, scoring 26 factors to his 29.
“Me and Sabrina talked about how cool of a possibility it’s to do one thing that’s by no means been performed earlier than in our sport,” Curry stated after the sport. “And for her to have a presence on this stage goes to do rather a lot to encourage the following era of younger girls and boys that need to compete and see themselves in both of us. Wherever it goes from there, we all know we will form of plant our flag as doing one thing actually particular.”
Her Sabrina 1 sneakers have been extensively praised by gamers
Ionescu is one among only a handful of WNBA gamers with their very own signature shoe, and the shoe has boomed in reputation. Greater than 100 NBA gamers have sported the Sabrina 1s this 12 months, together with stars like Jrue Vacation, Jalen Brunson, and Tyrese Haliburton. Amongst NBA gamers, her sneakers have been worn for 18,425 on-court minutes (roughly 383 video games), ranked fourth in reputation with 955 appearances, per Sportscasting.
In February, Ionescu thanked the Maverick’s Dereck Full of life for sporting her sneakers, prompting the rookie to reply: “Thanks for making them that snug.”
She’s within the midst of a profession season
Expectations have been sky-high for Sabrina Ionescu when she first entered the league in 2020. She missed most of that first 12 months with harm, and struggled in her first full season in 2021.
However, 2023 marked a profession taking pictures 12 months for Ionescu, who shot 44.8% from three and made essentially the most three-pointers by any WNBA participant in a single season.
This 12 months, Ionescu’s three-point taking pictures has declined — she’s shot 34.8% from three — however she’s nonetheless averaged a career-high 19.4 factors per sport. Largely because of Her all-around play, the Liberty have the league’s greatest file at 21-4.
“I’ve my three-point shot however to proceed to assist the crew to have the ability to simply manipulate defenses and get into the paint which permits the additional cross, defenses to break down,” she stated after a sport in Could. “My capability to go up, get fouled and understanding that generally the three level pictures [are] not going to go in and generally defenses are going to protect it rather well.”
Most lately, Ionescu was named Japanese Convention Participant of the Month for July.
