So I just remember, I said, "I'm going to stay." 2 Duke en route to an improbable Elite Eight matchup against top-seeded UConn. 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 . The Ducks administer a historic walloping, beating the Huskies 74-56 for their worst loss ever at Gampel. Seven years later, Ionescu and her twin brother, Eddy, were born. But you see your parents just going to work every day, working hard. They upset No. She was born to Romanian-American parents, Dan Lonescu and Liliana Blaj. Kind of like describing Sue [Bird]. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Rob Herring Wife: Who Is Nicola Herring? Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj, her proud parents, welcomed her into the world. Christie Hemm Klok for ESPN. Sabrina: Growing up, I loved having role models and being able to look up to Steph and Kobe and players like that for inspiration. So we decided to build a future together. Doesn't work. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. ", 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. No posts yet. In her senior year, she led Miramonte to the CIF open division title game after averaging 25.3 points, 8.8 assists, 7.6 rebounds, 4.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. See All. Because I think it would have been a really special run," Graves says in a news conference. She was named the winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top Division I women's point guard after the season,[15] and was also a finalist for the Naismith Award. She is also the all-time leader in assists (769), steals (549) and triple-doubles (21). She did believe every word she wrote [in her speech when she was 12]. Your email address will not be published. ", "I started to play basketball at the age of 3, though I was just throwing the ball around. His vision for me was way bigger than my own. Ionescu went to a middle school where there weren't . The Ducks then went 31-2 in 2019-20 with Ionescu. And so we'd play him in H-O-R-S-E, two-on-two, one-on-one. ', The mind, body and soul of the WWE's Charlotte Flair, Bam Adebayo is the fiercest, best NBA player you don't know. That's what I admire most about her. It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes." The talented professional basketball player Sabrina has been the subject of rumors regarding her sexual orientation. She received national honors including the USA Today Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Max Preps Player of the Year, Cal-Hi Sports Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year and Gatorade State Player of the Year. It's a great role model for other kids to watch and say, "That kid's doing it, not just by God-given foot speed or strength or agility, she's doing it because she's just skilled. Eddy Ionescu, aka Edward 'Vortex' Ionescu, followed the same path as her sister and is a professional basketball player like her sister. Case Update, Stanley Wilson Jr Wife Was He Married? Eddy Ionescu, sometimes known as Edward "Vortex" Ionescu, is a professional basketball player like her sister and followed a similar career. Graves: I didn't know who had her ear, quite frankly. [23] Since that game on December 20, 2018, Ionescu has added five more triple-doubles for a season total of eight, and has broken the Oregon women's basketball assist record (formerly 608 assists) in a Pac-12 conference game against USC. Her 1.93-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio was second-best in the Pac-12. She wants to win a national championship. Hebard: When they came out with the draft, I texted her. Not only were they difficult to guard while growing up, but they also, at times, communicated in fluent Romanian, according to The Oregonian. As Sabrina processes her grief, she dedicates her season and everything that comes next to Kobe. [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. 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. Eddy: One day when we were short I think we only had four guys warming up I asked my coach if it was all right to have my sister play with us. Sabrina Ionescu selected No. I felt her emotional side of it, which is kind of weird to describe. You just walk away, you mind your own business. She absolutely killed it that game. Ruthy Hebard, Sabrina's Oregon teammate and best friend: Right off the bat, she was a leader. 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." She broke the NCAA triple-double record for womens and mens basketball. Everyone was so much faster and quicker. 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. Why is she not starting?" Just show the world what we can do a little more. Talking about her academics, she attended Miramonte High School from 2012 to 2016. Later that month, Ionescu, Auriemma and Taurasi are among the eight people to speak at the Los Angeles memorial honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant. 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 Ionescu is the first NCAA player EVER with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds! Wife And Net Worth Revealed. I used my older brother as inspiration to keep improving. If he won, we'd play again. He, Read More Rob Herring Wife: Who Is Nicola Herring? 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. She is clearly in a happy relationship with Grasu and is excited to take the next step in their journey together. 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. She recalled, "My middle school said I should be playing with dolls. Graves: I think Sabrina in New York, if that's the way it works out, is a match made in heaven. Sabrina was born in Walnut Creek, California, on December 6, 1997. I'm kind of a procrastinator, so I let it get to like an hour before I had to decide. Eddy: It helped us grow into the people we are, and then we know that we always have each other to fall back on. As a freshman in 201213, she started 14 of 29 games and averaged 13.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.9 steals per game to help her team to a 273 record and a Northern California Section Division II runner-up finish. "She's an unbelievable talent on that team," Curry would go on to say in a Warriors news conference. Edward, born on December 6, 1997, is only 18 minutes older than his sister. As a fresher in high school, she recorded an average . That stuff comes out in you. Things were just happening too quickly for them and for her. Id play P-I-G, collect the money, Slurpees.. Sabrina was only three years old when she chose basketball for her free time. Months go by. Sagittarius . Children Age And Net WorthContinue, Joki Octaviano Accident caused death after having life-threatening injuries. 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 . Like [laughs], why's she yelling at open gym? Born in Walnut Creek, CA #6. . Marc Spears on Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who reps his hometown on and off the court. . 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.". [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. We'd do whatever we could in order to win something. Ionescus impressive performances throughout college included one Pac-12 record, two less than the NCAA record, and four triple-doubles. It's like, we're in for something special tonight. Ionescu's Oregon Ducks also won the Pac-12 championship for the first time since 2000. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. 4 UConn, the school for which Gigi hoped to play. So I figured that if I could rebound, I would be able to get the ball myself. I was crying, my family was upset. 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. Eddy: It was always kind of on the basketball court when we fought. [41], On August 1, 2020, Ionescu injured her left ankle in the second quarter against the Atlanta Dream. [20] On December 20, 2018, Ionescu recorded her 13th triple-double in a game against Air Force and broke the NCAA triple-double record for both men's and women's basketball. "It's unfortunate we didn't get to see them in the tournament. I was hoping, and I felt like, OK, she's got something to prove and she would like to come back. After starring for the Oregon Ducks womens college basketball team, Ionescu has since joined the New York Liberty. However, things did not go as per plan for Dan. I didn't tell anyone. Draft", "07/29/20: New York Liberty @ Dallas Wings", "Your Day in Women's Basketball, October 12: Sabrina Ionescu is ready to ball", "New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu leaves game after ankle injury", "What Sabrina Ionescu's injury means for her rookie season and the New York Liberty", "Ionescu Records Liberty's First-Ever Triple Double", "Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu records first 30-point triple-double in WNBA history in win over Aces", "Oregon Ducks Take USA Basketball Women's 3x3 National Championship Title", "Sabrina Ionescu leads Oregon to USA 3-on-3 national championship", "Oregon players to represent U.S. in FIBA 3x3 World Cup", "Don't call them kids they just swept their pool at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2018", "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu wins PAC-12 Player of the Year while playing for Christ", "Sabrina Ionescu: 5 Facts About Superstar Picked No. 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. Sabrina Ionescu and brother Eddy are born on Dec. 6, 1997, to Romanian immigrant parents in Walnut Creek, California. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, a 91-68 win against Indiana, Sabrina gets her first triple-double in a tournament game. As kids, Sabrina Ionescu and her twin brother would hustle old men at basketball courts for 7-Eleven Slurpee money. In the postgame interview, she calls out ESPN: "It probably still won't get recognized because ESPN never recognizes women's sports. Eddy: Sabrina doesn't really like to follow the way regular people do it. The scrappy kid from the Bay Area has risen to become the most formidable player in her sport. The following year, Sabrina leads the Pac-12 in points and assists, and the Ducks earn a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament. Small and stubborn, she willed her game to improve. 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? Nothing is ever given to us now. Then passing-wise, when I was in sixth grade playing with the eighth-grade team, I was obviously a lot shorter, skinnier, smaller than they were. Sue Bird, for comparison's sake, averages 1.7 rebounds a game, while Sky veteran guard Allie Quigley tallies 2.8 a game. [3], On November 13, 2016, Ionescu made her collegiate debut for Oregon, recording 11 points in an 8467 win over Lamar. So I didn't post anything. She is just driven differently. 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. Videos Tagged. Two times Pac-12 Player of the year, finished his collegiate career at the University of Oregon Ducks women's basketball team. People were crying and just so sad. She debuted for Oregon in November 2016, scoring 11 points in a win over Lamar. I just know she doesn't like to lose, and that's, you know, it's her biggest strength, but it's also her biggest weakness. Sabrina has 2 siblings: a twin brother, Edward, who was born 18 minutes after her, and an older brother, Andrei. Sabrina, at the memorial: If I represented the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it. After they went 23-14 in 2016-17, Oregon went 33-5 in 2017-18 and 2018-19. [24][25][26] In the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Ionescu leads the Ducks to their first Final Four appearance after their 8884 victory over Mississippi State. I think he's her lock screen right now actually. Like regular kids. [37][38] Ionescu also won her second straight Naismith College Player of the Year award, Wade Trophy, Associated Press Women's College Basketball Player of the Year award, and USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award. Her father's name is Dan Ionescu who fled Communist Romania around the time of the 1989 revolution. 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. 1 seed in the Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament. I'm torn.". 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. Miramonte goes 119-9 during Sabrina's tenure, and she sets the school record with 2,606 points. In the historic game against Stanford, Ionescu made NCAA history. And I was like, "I'm by the hotel here." Playing people for money, for Slurpees, whatever it was. Sabrina: I don't really think I grasped what it would be like. I think she has a chance to really change the game and the way the game is viewed by everybody. His sister, Sabrina, is a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) professional). [50], * 2020 NCAA tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic, Ionescu is a Christian. Show More Posts from sabrina_i. 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. [11] Ionescu was named a McDonald's All-America and Jordan Brand All-American selection. But then I got to know her, of course, and just know she's so competitive and always wants to win. I went on a walk and just tried to clear my mind to figure out what I wanted to do. 3 Stanford", "Sabrina Ionescu's career night leads Oregon past Stanford", "Ionescu Breaks Assist Record in Civil War Win, Ducks 76 Beavers 64", "Oregon Ducks women: Ionescu and Hebard reach milestones in lopsided victory", "Gary Payton congratulates Sabrina Ionescu on breaking his Pac-12 all-time assists record", "Sabrina Ionescu Adds Career Milestone in Win vs. UCLA", "Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu Named Honda Sport Award Winner for Basketball", "WNBA mock draft 2019: Predicting all three rounds", "Liberty Select Sabrina Ionescu No. Ionescu also recorded her eighth triple-double of the season, tying her own NCAA single-season record from last season. Lying in her bed, wrapped in her gray blankets, she'll try to meditate. Find out about youtube star Sabrina Ionescu: Age, What she did before fame, her family life Latest information about her on social networks Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more I felt more alone. "[48] She adjusted quickly to the unfamiliar format, leading her team to the championship while going unbeaten and also being named tournament MVP. I appreciated it. On November 6, 2018, Ionescu recorded her 11th triple-double in a victory against Alaska-Fairbanks. She completed her high school education in Miramonte, California, before attending the University of Oregon in Oregon. As the years passed, the game respected her wishes. She was really small, but you could just tell she had a good skill set with her left hand.