sabrina ionescu brother
In the season before she arrived, the average announced home attendance for the Ducks was 1,501. Edward has also developed . Dan, Sabrina's father: [The twins] always felt comfort with each other. I just walked into the locker room and knew we won. Now, almost a full year later, the 23-year-old New York Liberty superstar thinks she deserves a new rookie . Ionescu started at Oregon the year after Grasu was drafted. Hebard: She's always mad at herself if we lose, but I think we were all just bummed and upset and crying. 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. Then you start to realize the incredible competitiveness that she has, the skill level that she has, the physical and mental toughness that she has. Auriemma: When she walks out, you go, "That kid's not gonna run by anybody, jump over anybody." Sabrina, at the memorial: If I represented the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it. Sabrina Ionescu's Big Moment Wasn't the One She Expected Her soon-to-be favorite player entered the league in 2009, when the Warriors used the No. Posts. Holly Andres for ESPN. Doesn't work. If he won, we'd play again. It was hard. Twinning with Sabrina Ionescu Pt. 1: Rapid fire with her brother Inside Sabrina Ionescu's relationship with "big brother - RSN [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. I had this poem book, and we had to write poems for an entire year. 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. [47] Ionescu had never before played under FIBA 3x3 rules, admitting after the tournament, "I had to ask the rules before the games started. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, a 91-68 win against Indiana, Sabrina gets her first triple-double in a tournament game. But then I got to know her, of course, and just know she's so competitive and always wants to win. Sopak: The biggest challenge she has now is overcoming losing. Eddy: It was always kind of on the basketball court when we fought. Playing him was not always easy, but I do improve because he's harder to play. 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. Sabrina Ionescu: the snarling genius ripping up basketball's record And she usually delivers. Sabrina: My dad would try to coach from the stands, and he'd yell stuff in Romanian to me. 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 . He and Sabrina stay connected through the Bay Area community and its youth basketball scene. The couple used to study at the same college University of Oregon. Watching it now, like, wow, a lot of my dreams have become a reality. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Sabrina Ionescu's organic fame speaks to her character, skill - Yahoo! . She was born with her twin brother named Edward also called Eddy, who was born only 18 minutes after the birth of Sabrina. The Ducks administer a historic walloping, beating the Huskies 74-56 for their worst loss ever at Gampel. [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. As a sophomore in 201314, Ionescu helped her team to a 302 record.[9]. She was born to Romanian-American parents, Dan Lonescu and Liliana Blaj. As Sabrina processes her grief, she dedicates her season and everything that comes next to Kobe. 1 overall WNBA pick and owns too many UO program records to count. Sabrina Ionescu: Rise of Oregon basketball's triple double star They would compete against older men at the basketball court to win extra money. , Read More Demetress Bell Wife Is He Married? Ionescu then had 10 points on four-of-five shooting in 12 minutes in her third WNBA game, but left early with an ankle injury. Dan: Here's one thing that I've learned through the years with Sabrina. She's relentless." Sabrina Ionescu Bio (Wiki) - Married Biography Sabrina was around three years old when she first picked up a basketball. 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. Her mother is Liliana Blaj and she has a twin brother Edward ("Eddy"). [Laughs] I think she learns a lot from them, which is really cool, and she definitely brings back stuff to share with the team. However, things did not go as per plan for Dan. March 28, 2020. 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. Reels. Sabrina Ionescu and her father Dan Ionescu (Source: OregonLive) I was crying, my family was upset. Sabrina Ionescu brother, Edward, is also a basketball player. Graves: She takes it to heart. [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. 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. Sabrina Ionescu's Family Background Explored. Her two brothers were a big help in developing her basketball skills. Sabrina Ionescu Family, Net Worth , Parents, Boyfriend, Children 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." And so he starts bawling, and then I start crying. It allowed me to push her more than I could push any other player to be great. Eddy Ionescu, Sabrina's twin brother, was born just 18 minutes after her in 1997. In the NCAA Tournament Final Four, the Ducks lost to the eventual national champion Baylor 7267. 7 overall pick to draft sharp-shooter Stephen Curry from Davidson College. [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]. 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. Sagittarius . " (I'm) impressed with her rebounding," Quigley said. Eddy Ionescu - Men's Basketball - University of Oregon Athletics I applaud her. She has a twin brother named Eddy who played basketball at City College of San Francisco. I don't think his mom really appreciated that. Because they knew exactly how it was gonna start. Eddy Ionescu, a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty, is Sabrina Ionescu's brother. He first played college basketball at City College of San Francisco, per Oregons team site. Despite having only played for three seasons at this point, Ionescu was eligible for the 2019 WNBA draft by age. Sabrina: Obviously that was tough. 336 following. 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. One of those struggles comes in the playoffs later that season, in a semifinal game against Saint Mary's. Sabrina Ionescu Biography - News and Gossip I took Washington, Oregon State, Oregon, Cal. Photo by Serena Morones . Graves: She claims that she thought I cried. That stuff comes out in you. She posted a triple-double in the championship game loss to Chaminade with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. And All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu is feeling as healthy and energized as she has since she joined the Liberty as the No. Sabrina's father, Dan, didn't know which way he'd be heading the day he picked up his daughter to drive her to college. Sabrina Ionescu has been in the spotlight since she was a teenager. 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. She was diagnosed the next day with a[42] grade 3 sprain, and was expected to miss about one month while recovering. Like his sister Sabrina, Edward plays basketball for the NCAA's Oregon Ducks. You know, post their top-fives in Instagram and Twitter and let everyone know. I didn't tell anyone. 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. [36] Ten days later in the Ducks' 7466 win at #4 Stanford, she became the first NCAA player ever with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. Hebard: I think it's needed. On April 14, 2020, Ionescu was named the winner of the Honda Sports Award as the best collegiate female basketball player in the nation. Sabrina Ionescu: Face of the Franchise - Boardroom 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. 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. The fact he was so angry and so aggressive with that. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Edward has also developed into a basketball player who is involved with various national teams. 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. Graves' remarks about Ionescu's future iconic status at Oregon proved to be prophetic. 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." Sabrina: I just remember the first couple practices, always getting the ball stolen from me and not being able to get those passes through just because the level of competition was so high. I appreciated it. 1 in W.N.B.A. Ionescu leads the Ducks with 15 points and eight rebounds, but the Huskies win 90-52. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Rob Herring Wife: Who Is Nicola Herring? I used my older brother as inspiration to keep improving. She has her eye on a matchup with Diana Taurasi, who is widely considered the league's GOAT. Born in Walnut Creek, CA #6. When I found out Sabrina had a twin brother, Eddy, I immediately knew I wanted to interview them together because they . We just started in a park, you know? Sabrina Ionescu - The Student Becomes the Teacher - Recognize Speaking of which. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of Week four times and was named USBWA National Player of the Week. Look: Sabrina Ionescu Announces Major Personal News - The Spun: What's Eddy just finished his redshirt junior season at Oregon. [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. Dan: She would start, a minute here, minute there when a kid was not there. Sabrina Ionescu- Professional Life, Career, Awards It motivates her to go back and practice more from learning from her mistakes. The Ducks then went 31-2 in 2019-20 with Ionescu. Sopak: I'm on the phone with her and she has 19 minutes to notify the WNBA [laughs] if she's going to declare for the draft, and we're seeing things on Twitter that she's going, she's not going, and we're laughing about it because she doesn't know. The couple recently got engaged on January 20, 2023, and Ionescu even shared a photo from their engagement on her Instagram account. Her first language was Romanian, which she used when playing with her brother in basketball games. [3] By that time, Dan owned a limousine service in Northern California, where he had chosen to settle because he had several extended family members in that area. Carlos Serrao for ESPN. WNBA's Sabrina Ionescu teams up with Xbox to empower young girls to 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. No posts yet. Ionescu recorded four triple-doubles, one shy of the Pac-12 record and two less than the NCAA record. After becoming eligible in 2019, Ionescu joined the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) and continued to show her impressive talents. I felt her emotional side of it, which is kind of weird to describe. View more on Instagram. 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. . 6 Oregon women's basketball past No. 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 Ionescu discusses her viral block and how her team lost pickup Her twin is Edward Ionescu also referred to as Eddy. And so we'd play him in H-O-R-S-E, two-on-two, one-on-one. Ionescu left Miramonte with a career winloss record of 1199 and a school-record 2,606 points scored. From here on out, really, everything's gonna be for him and what he taught me. I feel like that's definitely something that she'll leave behind, that's going to motivate the younger generation. 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. 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. 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. Too nervous to sleep. [1], Because Ionescu turned 22 in December 2019 she was eligible to declare for the 2019 WNBA draft. 706k Followers, 336 Following, 107 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i) sabrina_i. "Sabrina Ionescu joins Oregon Ducks in part-time role". Hebard: I think it's just amazing to see what she accomplishes because she works so hard, and then, like, triple-doubles, that's such a big thing. Christie Hemm Klok for ESPN. Ionescu garnered added attention on Sunday after she clinched her 18 th career triple-double as the Ducks blew out Indiana 91-68 in the NCAA tournament, the culmination of the college basketball . 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. Like. 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}. Her two brothers are. 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. Shortly after the premature end of her senior season, the university polled fans on social media, asking them to name the four Oregon alumni they would put on a notional Mount Rushmore for the university. He noted that attendance at Oregon women's games had dramatically increased during Ionescu's career at the school. We would get hungry, we'd want some money. 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. Hebard: I was like, she's always yelling! 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?" [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. Produced by Nancy Devaney and Emma Reed. If. [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." Why Sabrina Ionescu's rebounding is crucial to her role as the WNBA's These are things that kids can acquire; they don't have to be born with those things. 1 in the preseason Top 25, the spotlight on Sabrina is brighter than ever. Source: Forbes Sopak: Even though I didn't know until, I think, eight minutes before the deadline, when you step back and look at it, it was like that was the only thing she was going to do, if you know Sabrina. Sabrina is a basketball player now engaged with the former American football player Hroniss Grasu. Sabrina Ionescu | Bio, Career, Parents, Net Worth, Stats and Awards After an. 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. Her 1.93-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio was second-best in the Pac-12. She brought one of Kobe's books into the locker room, and we all looked at it. [51] She was close with Kobe Bryant, with whom she had one-on-one training sessions, and spoke at the Kobe & Gianna Bryant Celebration of Life at the Staples Center on February 24, 2020. Later that month, Ionescu, Auriemma and Taurasi are among the eight people to speak at the Los Angeles memorial honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant. You just see it's a little bit different in her preparation, in her focus, in her manner. Eddy Ionescu, aka Edward 'Vortex' Ionescu, followed the same path as her sister and is a professional basketball player like her sister. Additionally, she would receive her bachelor's degree that June. [citation needed], Ionescu was the No. She recalled, "My middle school said I should be playing with dolls. Ionescu was one of the top college basketball players in the country starting in her very first college season. Dan, Sabrina's father:[The twins] always felt comfort with each other. Nothing is ever given to us now. 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. Sabrina's ancestry is Romanian-Caucasian and has a twin brother, Edward. Ionescu also played for the University of Oregons womens basketball team. 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. Basketball Player Born in California #37. Sabrina: Growing up, I loved having role models and being able to look up to Steph and Kobe and players like that for inspiration. 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. Liliana Blaj calls her daughter "the hardest self-critic. 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.". Eddy: We competed in everything. Sabrina makes an immediate impact, including 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 69-55 win against defending state champion Archbishop Mitty. Here, the superstar and the people who know her best reveal the story behind the legend, the fights and flourishes that have come to define the game's most electric player. [Her parents] never questioned anything. 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. There is no related content available. A lot of the Pac-12 schools, just 'cause I knew I kind of wanted to stay closer to home. And so I had to learn how to use the ball screens and all the frustration that comes with that. Her first language . Ionescu's role includes assisting with the development of student . She did believe every word she wrote [in her speech when she was 12]. Sabrina: We're built-in best friends. Sabrina Ionescu's brother Eddy Ionescu is an American professional basketball player for the New York Liberty. As kids, Sabrina Ionescu and her twin brother would hustle old men at basketball courts for 7-Eleven Slurpee money. 213,394 likes. 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. WNBA Star Sabrina Ionescu Is Engaged to Las Vegas Raiders' Hroniss [33][34] Payton personally congratulated Ionescu on the achievement. The referee came over, ejected him, and Sabrina just got up and started clapping in his face. Ionescu actually has a twin brother named Eddy who also plays basketball. 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. Lying in her bed, wrapped in her gray blankets, she'll try to meditate. I shot 3-pointers, free throws, everything left-handed. Sabrina has 2 siblings: a twin brother, Edward, who was born 18 minutes after her, and an older brother, Andrei. Children Age And Net WorthContinue, Joki Octaviano Accident caused death after having life-threatening injuries. Graves: I think Sabrina in New York, if that's the way it works out, is a match made in heaven. 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. If we ever needed a player, I would just look at Sabrina. And so I was like, "All right, well this is my chance, I'm going to say something.". Sabrina Ionescu Has a Twin Sibling That Also Plays College Basketball [41], On August 1, 2020, Ionescu injured her left ankle in the second quarter against the Atlanta Dream. Scoring 26 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, she became the youngest player in WNBA history to record a triple double. . ESPN Producer Emma Reed Profiles Sabrina Ionescu With - ESPN Front Row She's worked at it. Videos Tagged. You take that on: You want to prove to everyone that you belong. [50], * 2020 NCAA tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic, Ionescu is a Christian. With the eight she'll add in her third year in college, she will become the NCAA leader in triple-doubles. Sabrina Ionescu WNBA Stats | Basketball-Reference.com Sabrina Ionescu Twin Brother, Parents, Professional Career, Net Worth