Inhale, exhale. After all, Ive never met another Romanian basketball player on the floor., twin brother Eddy Ionescu gave us tv gold last night with a Romanian breakdown of the game of his sis @sabrina_i20 @OregonWBB #WNCAA pic.twitter.com/YFuCJ2BUDo, Many NBA Players Supported the WNBA in a Big Way. No one spoke. [42], The next season, on May 18, 2021, Ionescu recorded her first professional triple-double. Seven years later, Ionescu and her twin brother, Eddy, were born. From here on out, really, everything's gonna be for him and what he taught me. And that was it. Edward has also developed into a basketball player who is involved with various national teams. Oregon coach Kelly Graves has developed a sense for nights when his star will get a triple-double. According to Ducks coach Kelly Graves, in 2019 Ionescu had "a chance to be a Marcus Mariota, that level of player and an esteemed Oregon Duck when it's all said and done." [45], On July 6, 2022, Ionescu had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to record the first 30-point triple-double in WNBA history.[46]. I went to Stanford. Ionescu won almost all the possible National Player of the Year awards, including the John R. Wooden Award, Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, ESPY for Top Female College Athlete and ESPN.com National Player of the Year. Sabrina: Obviously that was tough. She was named the McDonald's All-America game MVP after scoring a record 25 points, including seven three-pointers, with 10 rebounds. [Laughs], Seattle or Eugene? We'd do whatever we could in order to win something. Everyone's watching us. Sopak: The biggest challenge she has now is overcoming losing. Eddy: Summers in California were just basketball and sleep, pretty much. I was hoping, and I felt like, OK, she's got something to prove and she would like to come back. 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. She has recorded 10-assist games 13 times this season, handing out a league season-high 14 twice. She hadn't yet rewritten the standard for her peers while inspiring the generation to come. Sabrina Ionescu is ready for a full season in the WNBA after an injury-shortened rookie year. Playing basketball with her older brother, Andrei, and her twin brother, Eddy, had taught her the joy of clawing for every rebound, every point. In the historic game against Stanford, Ionescu made NCAA history. View more on Instagram. Athlete #20 @nike 24 2. When I found out Sabrina had a twin brother, Eddy, I immediately knew I wanted to interview them together because they . Doesn't work. After becoming eligible in 2019, Ionescu joined the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) and continued to show her impressive talents. Nothing is ever given to us now. Rob Herring Wife name is Nicola Herring and they are living a happily married life. In the NCAA Tournament Final Four, the Ducks lost to the eventual national champion Baylor 7267. New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Sets Multiple WNBA Records in Historic Game Among the first was her friend Vanessa. Heading into her junior season, Sabrina has 10 triple-doubles in her career. Case UpdateContinue, Stanley Wilson Jr Wife does not exist, as the player was single till his death. While Ionescu is known for her skill on the basketball court, her personal life has also been a topic of interest for fans and the media. She completed her high school education in Miramonte, California, before attending the University of Oregon in Oregon. She's worked at it. Additionally, she would receive her bachelor's degree that June. Two times Pac-12 Player of the year, finished his collegiate career at the University of Oregon Ducks women's basketball team. Her father, Dan Ionescu, fled communist Romania around the time of the 1989 revolution, seeking political asylum in the United States. . Not only were they difficult to guard while growing up, but they also, at times, communicated in fluent Romanian, according to The Oregonian. 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. He and Sabrina stay connected through the Bay Area community and its youth basketball scene. In his redshirt junior season at Oregon in 2019-20, Eddy first appeared on Dec. 7, 2019 against Hawaii and had one assist. [19] Twelve days later, she would tie the NCAA triple-double record, with her 12th triple-double in a win against Buffalo. She posted a triple-double in the championship game loss to Chaminade with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. She has a twin brother Edward ("Eddy"), who was born 18 minutes after her. I definitely loved working with my left hand. [Her parents] never questioned anything. See All. Like regular kids. Things were just happening too quickly for them and for her. Verified. In late April 2018, Ionescu and Oregon teammates Erin Boley, Otiona Gildon, and Ruthy Hebard entered the USA Basketball women's national 3x3 championship tournament at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. NBA stars like Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant take notice of Sabrina's game. 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. I was happy that she pushed back. ", Sabrina: They had posted something about Ja Morant getting one and said that there was only eight or seven people that ever got one in the NCAA tournament, and they listed all the men that had gotten a triple-double. Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu (20) celebrates after a game against Mississippi State during the 2019 NCAA women's tournament. The scrappy kid from the Bay Area has risen to become the most formidable player in her sport. Their warm-ups were elite, and so I think that just goes to show what they built there and what we're trying to build here. [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." I applaud her. Auriemma: When she walks out, you go, "That kid's not gonna run by anybody, jump over anybody." Sabrina gets her first collegiate triple-double just seven games into her Oregon career, in a 91-62 victory over San Jose State. He hoped that his then-wife, Liliana Blaj, and their son Andrei could join them in a few months, but they were unable to move to the US until 1995. Very indecisive. I felt her emotional side of it, which is kind of weird to describe. As a sophomore in 201314, Ionescu helped her team to a 302 record.[9]. Ten years ago, Sabrina Ionescu hadn't yet turned the basketball world on its head. Sabrina Ionescu is an American personality who is a professional basketball player and is committed to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) playing for the New York Liberty. 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. According to TMZ Sports, a rookie trading card of Ionescu has officially become the most expensive WNBA trading card in history, selling for $10,800 on Sunday night. As Sabrina processes her grief, she dedicates her season and everything that comes next to Kobe. So Sabrina always kept her shoes with her when we went to Eddy's games. On Larkey Park's concrete court near their Walnut Creek, California, home, Sabrina and Eddy Ionescu took on unsuspecting marks in games of two-on-two. Whether it was our chores, whether it was our homework, whether it was eating dinner, racing to whoever can get in bed first. Forward Ruthy Hebard bought into her best friend's mission of changing the culture at Oregon. . Related Accounts. Eddy: We were together when she made that decision. "Sabrina Ionescu - Forbes 30 Under 30 Profile". Sabrina, at the memorial: If I represented the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it. She then averaged 19.7 points per game in her sophomore season to go with 7.8 assists and 6.7 rebounds, and then 19.9 points per game, 8.2 assists, and 7.4 rebounds in her junior year. Graves' remarks about Ionescu's future iconic status at Oregon proved to be prophetic. 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. The talented professional basketball player Sabrina has been the subject of rumors regarding her sexual orientation. 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. 1 in the WNBA Draft a year later.. That was in May 2020, a time in which she sat atop the basketball world as the NCAA's . [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. Ionescu told Insider she thinks she should be a rookie again this year, but the WNBA disagrees. They used to play football and basketball for college-level games. Ionescus stellar play in college led to her becoming the No. Eddy Ionescu, sometimes known as Edward "Vortex" Ionescu, is a professional basketball player like her sister and followed a similar career. Children Age And Net WorthContinue, Joki Octaviano Accident caused death after having life-threatening injuries. [1] Ionescu was also a significant draw when Oregon went on the road; for example, when the Ducks visited Washington during her junior season, the crowd for that game was 3,000 more than the Huskies drew two nights earlier against Oregon State.[7]. Every time I stood up, everyone in unison would be like, "basketball." He just eats, sleeps, loves everything about basketball, which is literally the same thing with her. And that fourth quarter, we just didn't shoot the ball well. I remember we were neck and neck with this one team. The Ducks had a lot of success with Ionescu too. Sabrina Ionescu's resume is long and exceptional: Two-time Pac-12 Conference player of the year; back-to-back First-Team All-American; National Player of the Year candidate; NCAA career triple-double record holder (18); probable No. Months go by. Sabrina Ionescu's Twin brother Eddy (Source: Instagram) 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. The Athletics Shams Charania reported that she is expected to miss approximately one month as she has a Grade 3 left ankle sprain. Her two brothers are. Id play P-I-G, collect the money, Slurpees.. 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}. She is just driven differently. Be Unique. [27] Ionescu finished the game with 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a steal. She is clearly in a happy relationship with Grasu and is excited to take the next step in their journey together. Ionescus love for the sport started at a young age, as she began playing basketball when she was only three years old. Her elder brother is Andrei Ionescu. [40] She played her first game with the Liberty on July 25. On December 6, 1997, Sabrina Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California. Sabrina: Coming into college, I never ran a ball screen in my life, and that's what our entire offense was. I know on one Instagram post she kind of talked about, you know, "I let my basketball do the cooking," or whatever the case. At the time, she was the highest-ranked recruit ever to commit to Oregon basketball. Her soon-to-be favorite player entered the league in 2009, when the Warriors used the No. Like his sister Sabrina, Edward plays basketball for the NCAA's Oregon Ducks. The referee came over, ejected him, and Sabrina just got up and started clapping in his face. Playing him was not always easy, but I do improve because he's harder to play. She was born to Romanian-American parents, Dan Lonescu and Liliana Blaj. I was like, "I just don't know. Speaking of which. During her first year, she participated in 14 games out of 29 games, scoring 13.8 points, 2.9 steals, and 3.9 assists per game during that season. But she went to a middle school that didn't have enough players to field a girls team, and when she attempted to try out for the boys' team, she was prohibited. It's her 26th career triple-double, and she makes history as the first college basketball player to compile 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. She's relentless." They broke down the game, and then. I went right back at him. "Not many . The card a 2020 Panini. 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. [47] Ionescu had never before played under FIBA 3x3 rules, admitting after the tournament, "I had to ask the rules before the games started. [43][44] In the end, though, she did not play again for the remainder of her first professional season. Sabrina is expected to be the No. 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. Hebard: She's always mad at herself if we lose, but I think we were all just bummed and upset and crying. I went on a walk and just tried to clear my mind to figure out what I wanted to do. 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. By 50. They had heard the language at home throughout their lives. Ionescu's role includes assisting with the development of student . I had this poem book, and we had to write poems for an entire year. And so we'd play him in H-O-R-S-E, two-on-two, one-on-one. 4 overall player in the recruiting class of 2016. She was born with her twin brother named Edward also called Eddy, who was born only 18 minutes after the birth of Sabrina. Her parents fled Romania during the 1989 revolution and sought political asylum in the U.S., raising Ionescu, her twin brother and older brother in Walnut Creek, California. However, that's quite a pull, you know? ', The mind, body and soul of the WWE's Charlotte Flair, Bam Adebayo is the fiercest, best NBA player you don't know. 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. "She's a legend in her own right, that's for sure." Videos Tagged. [7] However, she had difficulty making a college choice, not signing a National Letter of Intent with any school during either the early signing period in November 2015 or the late period in April 2016. Too nervous to sleep. Id sit there and try and act like I had no idea how to play, and so they had betted money, and then it was game on, Sabrina told ESPNW. Sabrina: The fact that I had to fight for every rebound, because he wasn't going to give me anything easy, is kind of what I translate to my game now. We lost nine games while she was in high school. 1 seed and a deep run in the postseason, the NCAA halted its tournaments amid the coronavirus pandemic, effectively ending Sabrina's collegiate career. When she's losing a game, you do not talk to her. 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. Sabrina Ionescu Net Worth. Indeed her legacy at Oregon had already been written. Hebard: I was like, she's always yelling! [My family] saw the pros in both decisions, and they just told me, "The decision is yours, do what you want, we support you." Watching it now, like, wow, a lot of my dreams have become a reality. 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. The WNBA draft order is released in September, and the New York Liberty draw the top pick. Sabrina Ionescu was born on 6th December 1997 and grew up in Walnut Creek, California, to her Romanian-American parents. If we only knew when we could see her play her sport again. If we ever needed a player, I would just look at Sabrina. 4 UConn, the school for which Gigi hoped to play. According to a 2020 story in the university's web journal Around the O, more than 70 suggestions were provided, but the four top choices were Mariota, Steve Prefontaine, Phil Knight, and Ionescu. I figured out ways to write poems about basketball the entire year. Furthermore, Ionescu and her team finished as the Northern California Section Division II runner-up team. And I was like, "I'm by the hotel here." I did not cry. Graves: We had a chance. Photo by Serena Morones . Eddy: The little dirty plays that some basketball players do, tugging on your shorts, whispering in your ear some trash talk, tripping you while you walk by I would just get under Sabrina's skin, just because I didn't feel like she had enough experience with that yet. The Ducks administer a historic walloping, beating the Huskies 74-56 for their worst loss ever at Gampel. [29], In the second game of her senior season on November 13, 2019, Ionescu surpassed the 2,000 points, 800 assists mark for her college career with a 10952 win over Utah State. For over six years, the family was separated. People were crying and just so sad. [Laughs] I think she learns a lot from them, which is really cool, and she definitely brings back stuff to share with the team. Eddy is also a basketball player. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Source: Forbes 1 defensive team. One of those struggles comes in the playoffs later that season, in a semifinal game against Saint Mary's. A daughter of Romanian immigrants who fled their homeland after the 1989 revolution, Ionescu took to basketball "just trying to keep up" with her brothers in the driveway while growing up the . She debuted for Oregon in November 2016, scoring 11 points in a win over Lamar. 2 Duke en route to an improbable Elite Eight matchup against top-seeded UConn. They just cheered for the team and cheered for Sabrina. 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. As a kid, Ionescu was always competitive, playing sports with and against her twin brother Eddy. She also posted seven double-doubles, ranked third in the Pac-12 and 29th in the NCAA with 183 assists on the year. Kind of like describing Sue [Bird]. She has a twin brother named Eddy who played basketball at City College of San Francisco. So I just remember, I said, "I'm going to stay." Dan: She will not back down from anything, and he will not back down from anything. Sabrina's ancestry is Romanian-Caucasian and has a twin brother, Edward. "It's unfortunate we didn't get to see them in the tournament. 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. A lot of the Pac-12 schools, just 'cause I knew I kind of wanted to stay closer to home. Sabrina Ionescu is an American basketball star, who plays for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Sabrina makes an immediate impact, including 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 69-55 win against defending state champion Archbishop Mitty. 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. The two started playing basketball together when they were in grade school. There is no related content available. . 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. Eddy: We didn't have these crazy expensive trainers, or these really nice exquisite gyms to go to, with the shooting machines and all this. 1 pick in Friday's WNBA Draft . Eddy: At that time, I didn't know or she didn't know whether she was gonna leave for the WNBA. It's crazy to see everything come full circle and see how young I was and the dreams that I had and She's not the biggest, quickest, fastest, strongest. Id play H-O-R-S-E, collect the money, Slurpees. Her two brothers were a big help in developing her basketball skills. [50], * 2020 NCAA tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic, Ionescu is a Christian. I don't think his mom really appreciated that. Being able to grow up, have the same friends, play the same sports and do everything together is really fun. Sabrina: I don't really think I grasped what it would be like. I had to let her be, just because I knew her draft decision was coming up. Someone would cry. Ionescu also recorded her eighth triple-double of the season, tying her own NCAA single-season record from last season. So then I was like, "All right, we're going to Eugene.". 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.". His vision for me was way bigger than my own. Eddy: Sabrina doesn't really like to follow the way regular people do it. 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. With Oregon ranked No. [39] However, Ionescu announced in an open letter published in The Players' Tribune on April 6, 2019, the day after Oregon's loss to Baylor in the Final Four and four days before the draft, that she would return to Oregon for her senior season. Eddy has since joined Oregons team. Kobe was helping her with that because he saw it in her. In March, the 31-2 Ducks are poised for a 1-seed and deep run in the NCAA tournament. 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. Her 1.93-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio was second-best in the Pac-12. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Sabrina Ionescu is 23 years old born on 6th December 1997 in Walnut Creek, California. Sabrina: It was between Oregon and Washington, and I had no idea. . Produced by Nancy Devaney and Emma Reed. Sabrina Ionescu makes WNBA single-season history New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu made history Saturday night, becoming the first WNBA player to eclipse 500 points, 200 rebounds and 2.. I mean, we still called each other every night and he knew all about what I was going through. Sabrina: If we really, really got into it, there'd be blood. During that time, her father's wife was Liliana Blaj, who was living apart from her only husband. On Feb. 3, with so many still in mourning, No. 707K followers. 1 overall WNBA pick and owns too many UO program records to count. I'm kind of a procrastinator, so I let it get to like an hour before I had to decide. She had 16 double-doubles this season and 14 20-point games. [28], On April 17, 2020, the New York Liberty selected Ionescu with the first overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Talking about her academics, she attended Miramonte High School from 2012 to 2016. Later, he was transferred to Oregon Ducks and played for them like his sister. Now, almost a full year later, the 23-year-old New York Liberty superstar thinks she deserves a new rookie . Dan: She would start, a minute here, minute there when a kid was not there. Liliana Blaj calls her daughter "the hardest self-critic. She brought one of Kobe's books into the locker room, and we all looked at it. Sabrina Ionescu- Professional Life, Career, Awards Just show the world what we can do a little more. November 14, 2022 Sabrina Ionescu makes Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Sports. Those are probably my two favorite players. It's the Ducks' first trip to Storrs, where 11 national championship banners hang in the legendary arena. 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." Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an American basketball . 213,394 likes. The couple used to study at the same college University of Oregon. And so for days on end, I didn't use my right hand once. That stuff comes out in you. 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? Required fields are marked *. Sabrina had her share of failures, and I think that's probably the most powerful thing a coach can give a player is the struggle. 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." Hebard: When they came out with the draft, I texted her. It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes. Sabrina is a basketball player now engaged with the former American football player Hroniss Grasu. Fell straight down. Interested shoppers can easily buy them . Sabrina Ionescu has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager. Then he called me and said, "Where are you?" !#GoDucks . As the years passed, the game respected her wishes. Eddy: I remember we went straight to the gym afterward, just started throwing free throws for hours. And then we kind of just sat down and discussed what her next plan was. She averaged 14.6 points per game to go with 6.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists as she was the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and ESPNWs National Freshman of the Year, according to Oregons team site. Sabrina Ionescu brother, Edward, is also a basketball player. The entire time, he had played it off that he was like, "We'll do whatever's best for you," and then was like, "All right, I'm going to go on a walk." Sabrina Ionescu. 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. One of the most electric basketball players in the world (man or woman) is the WNBA star, Sabrina Ionescu.