Sabrina Ionescu

Sabrina Ionescu: biography

Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an esteemed American basketball athlete who currently showcases her skills as a professional player for the New York Liberty in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Prior to her professional career, she excelled in college basketball as a member of the Oregon Ducks team. Sabrina holds remarkable records, as she is the all-time leader in career triple-doubles in the history of the NCAA. Furthermore, she reigns as the top assist provider in the Pac-12 Conference throughout its history.

Childhood and youth

Sabrina Ionescu was born on December 6, 1997 in Walnut Creek, California. She hails from a family of Romanian-American descent. Her father, Dan Ionescu, fled communist Romania during the time of the 1989 revolution, seeking political asylum in the United States. Initially, he hoped to bring his then-wife, Liliana Blaj, and their son Andrei to join him in a few months, but their relocation to the US was delayed until 1995.During this period, Dan established a limousine service in Northern California, opting to settle in an area where he had several extended family members.

Sabrina's introduction to basketball occurred when she was approximately three years old. Growing up in a Romanian-speaking household, she discovered her passion for the sport at an early age. Notably, Sabrina has a twin brother named Edward, affectionately known as "Eddy," who was born just 18 minutes after her.

Eddy himself pursued basketball, initially playing at the City College of San Francisco before transferring to Oregon. In the 2018-19 academic year, he focused solely on academics before joining the Ducks men's basketball team as a walk-on player in 2019-20.

In a 2019 interview with Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Sabrina acknowledged her innate scoring ability but attributed much of her diverse skill set to the experience of playing alongside both boys and older girls during her formative years.

Sabrina Ionescu had an impressive high school basketball career at Miramonte High School in Orinda, California. She was a four-year varsity letter winner under coach Kelly Sopak. As a freshman, she contributed to her team's 27-3 record and runner-up finish in the Northern California Section Division II tournament. In her senior year, she led Miramonte to the CIF open division title game, averaging 25.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 7.6 rebounds per game. Sabrina left Miramonte with a career record of 119-9 and school records for points scored, assists, steals, and triple-doubles.She was highly sought after in college recruitment, ultimately choosing Oregon, where she became the highest-ranked recruit in the program's history.

Basketball career

Sabrina Ionescu made an impactful collegiate debut for Oregon on November 13, 2016, scoring 11 points in a victory over Lamar. Throughout the season, she recorded four triple-doubles, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and first in assists. She received multiple accolades, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and USBWA National Freshman of the Year.

Ionescu led the Ducks to their first-ever No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament during her sophomore year. She topped the Pac-12 in scoring and assists, earning Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year and becoming a first-team All-American by ESPN.She also broke the NCAA women's all-time triple-double record.

In her junior year, Ionescu continued her triple-double dominance, breaking the NCAA record for both men's and women's basketball. She received the John R. Wooden Award and the Wade Trophy as the best women's college basketball player.

During her senior season, Ionescu achieved various milestones, including surpassing 2,000 points and 800 assists for her college career. She also broke the all-time career scoring record at Oregon and became the Pac-12's all-time assist leader, surpassing Gary Payton's record. Ionescu became the first NCAA player ever to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. She received numerous prestigious awards, such as the AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and the John R. Wooden Award.

Ionescu's presence had a transformative effect on Oregon women's basketball, significantly increasing attendance at their games. The average attendance rose from 1,501 before her arrival to over 10,000 in her senior season.

In December 2019, Sabrina Ionescu turned 22, making her eligible to declare for the 2019 WNBA draft. Despite being a possible top pick, she announced her decision to return to Oregon for her senior season in an open letter published in The Players' Tribune.

On April 17, 2020, Ionescu was selected as the first overall pick by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA draft. She made her debut on July 25 and had a standout performance in her second game, scoring 33 points, with 7 assists and 7 rebounds.

Unfortunately, on August 1, 2020, Ionescu suffered a grade 3 ankle sprain and missed the remainder of her first professional season.

In her second season, on May 18, 2021, Ionescu recorded her first professional triple-double, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to achieve this feat. She scored 26 points, with 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

On July 6, 2022, Ionescu made history again by recording a 30-point triple-double, the first in WNBA history, with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Most recently, on July 15, 2023, Ionescu scored an incredible 37 points in the Three-Point Contest, setting a new record for the highest score in WNBA and NBA history, surpassing Stephen Curry's previous record of 31 points. She made 25 of her final 26 attempts to achieve this remarkable feat.

Personal life

Ionescu embraces her Christian faith. She had a close relationship with the late Kobe Bryant and even had one-on-one training sessions with him. Ionescu delivered a speech at the Kobe & Gianna Bryant Celebration of Life held at the Staples Center on February 24, 2020.She also shares a strong bond with her former teammate Ruthy Hebard.

Sabrina Ionescu is happily engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Hroniss Grasu, who currently serves as the center for the Las Vegas Raiders. Sharing their joy with the world, Ionescu took to Instagram to make the announcement, expressing their commitment with the words, "It's always us, here's to forever with you." Both Ionescu and Grasu have roots in Romania and were raised in California, representing their shared connection as Oregon alumni.

Awards

NCAA:

• NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles
• Only NCAA player with career 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds
• USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2017)

WNBA:

• 2× WNBA All-Star (2022, 2023)
• All-WNBA Second Team (2022)

College Awards:

• Naismith Player of the Year (2020)
• AP Player of the Year (2020)
• USBWA Player of the Year (2020)
• Senior CLASS Award (2020)
• Honda Sports Award (2020)
• 3× Nancy Lieberman Award (2018–2020)
• 2× John R. Wooden Award (2019, 2020)
• 2× Wade Trophy (2019, 2020)
• 3× Pac-12 Player of the Year (2018–2020)