I can still hear the ESPN announcer’s voice screaming, “And hit! And hit! Sabrina Ionescu, with the biggest shot in Liberty history!” as the New York Liberty point guard sunk a deep three-point shot to win game three of the WNBA finals.
It was a huge moment from a player known for huge moments, and paved the way for the New York Liberty to win their first-ever championship ring in game five of the series. But it hardly came as a surprise from the woman who, as a child, challenged adults to pickup games—and won. The player who, in her final year at the University of Oregon, led her team to a 31-2 record, before the COVID-19 pandemic cut her national title dreams short. (But it didn’t stop her from becoming the only player in NCAA history—male or female—with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists.)
Ionescu went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft, and has been instrumental in getting the New York Liberty to the finals the past two years. She also shot to stardom last year after scoring 37 points in the WNBA three-point contest—the most scored in both the WNBA or NBA three-point contest—besting Steph Curry’s previous record of 31 points.
Sabrina Ionescu reacts after hitting a game-winning three point shot to defeat the Minnesota Lynx 80-77 in game three of the WNBA Finals.
Off the court, she is focused on nurturing the next generation of players, hosting the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase for girls basketball. And she is also known for her having signature Nike shoes—the Sabrina 1s, released in 2023, and the Sabrina 2s, which dropped this past summer.
The day after the Liberty secured the championship title, Ionescu spoke at an event hosted at Nike’s New York City headquarters to celebrate a 12-year extension of the partnership between the shoe and apparel giant and the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G leagues. In 2022, Nike deepened its 25-year commitment to the WNBA by becoming an equity investor in the league, and the company has a number of initiatives designed to support and grow the sport, including Women in Nike, which provides work experience for retired W players, and Game Growers, which works with seventh and eighth grade girls to share their ideas on how to encourage more girls to play sports. (In case you missed it, Nike also had a genius ad ready to celebrate the Liberty’s win.) Under the new agreement, Nike will continue to design and manufacture uniforms, as well as on-court and fan apparel.
On stage with Nike President and CEO Elliott Hill, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo via Zoom, Ionescu talked about the importance of inspiring young people coming up in the sport. “Young girls and young boys are growing up in a world where they’re able to go to a game that is selling out with 19,000 fans and viewership peaks at two million,” she said. “It’s amazing to be part of this league right now, where we’re making change and we’re able to see how it impacts lives, not only here but around the world. … We’re at the point in the sport and culture where we can inspire the next generation to be who they want to be, and [to know] no dream is too crazy.”
Ionescu at the Nike event on October 21, 2024.
ELLE caught up with Ionescu before the event to talk about what the finals win means to her, that game-winning shot, and the explosive growth of women’s basketball.
You picked up a basketball at age three; you started out playing with your brothers in the driveway. What would that little girl think of this moment?
I don’t even know. I don’t think it is really something you can put into words. I think it’s just understanding everything has been part of your journey and continuing to buy into the process of being your best, and showing up every day, and kind of fighting through adversity, and figuring it out. That’s why winning a championship means so much, because you don’t do it alone. It takes a lot of people. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice over a long period of time. And when you get to that point of figuring it out and winning, it makes everything worth it.
You had unfinished business at the college level, when COVID forced the cancellation of the NCAA championships during your final season with the University of Oregon. How does it feel to finally get a national title?
I’ve definitely been waiting a while for this. Getting so close in college and obviously not being able to finish what I started. And then chipping away year to year, as I got into the pro league and getting so close last year. Now I finally feel like I’ve made it, like I’ve done what I’ve been wanting to do for a really long time. That’s exciting to me, because I feel like it’s just the beginning. I’ve finally gotten the chance to be in that situation, to know what it feels like, and hopefully win more as I continue to develop in the league.
Last year, the Las Vegas Aces beat the Liberty to win the championship in Brooklyn. You all were on fire all season, ranked number one. Was this season fueled by revenge?
You have to lose to know what it takes to win. And for us being able to go through that together—our core group was in that locker room and knows what it felt like to lose. And that’s what motivated us particularly throughout this year’s playoffs—not wanting to feel that again. And knowing whatever it took to get a win—whether someone was playing well, or someone off the bench had to step up and come in—we were going to do it together to just not have to go through that. And obviously, there’s going to be times in sports where you do [lose], but I think there’s an understanding that comes from collectively failing at something together, and knowing what it takes to win is why sport is what it is, and why a team is so powerful.
We have to talk about your incredible three-point shot that secured the W in game three. What was going through your mind in that moment?
Nothing, I guess, which is great. Usually that’s when I’m at my best—when I’m not really thinking. I was trying to get a good shot, whatever it was. I feel like I had a good look at the basket, and I felt like it was definitely a makeable shot for me, and I wanted to win. I mean, it’s tough winning on an opposing team’s court in the playoffs. Thank God we did, because that was huge for us to be able to have a game five back in New York.
Absolutely. My only sadness is that that shot didn’t happen at home.
I know, it would have been crazy at Barclays.
In game five, you had a great defensive game and some amazing assists, but your shots were not dropping. How do you stay mentally engaged when the shots aren’t going how you want?
There’s just so many parts of the game that you can impact, whether it’s scoring, passing, defending, rebounding, or being able to drive through the paint and draw three defenders so someone else is open. I think understanding how many ways you can impact the game, and knowing that there’s more than one thing that you can go to through the course of a game that can change the outcome of a game. Something I feel like has helped me evolve just as a player is knowing that you can attack the game in so many ways. I got a lot of stops when we needed them and was able to get rebounds and pass the ball really well. Everything adds up in the end.
Ionescu celebrates with her family after winning game five of the WNBA Finals.
There was a lot of talk throughout the finals about the refs. After game four, Sandy [Brondello, the Liberty head coach] had some things to say, and after last night, Cheryl [Reeve, the Lynx head coach] had some things to say. What is your take on the officiating during the series?
It’s been what it’s been all year. We know what to expect. Some games go how you want them to, and some games don’t. Our game four wasn’t perfect on the officiating front either, and I think that’s why Sandy said what she said. But that never really has been an excuse for us all year long. Whether we get calls or not, it’s never on the officials. It’s always on what we can do better, and focus on the things that we can do. Officiating is not in our control. So for us after game four, it was just understanding how they were calling the game, and ways that we can be better, and never kind of put the blame on anyone else besides ourselves.
I want to talk about the growth and popularity of the sport this season. When you were in middle school, you had to form your own girls’ basketball team when your school didn’t have one. You were told you couldn’t play with the boys and that you should be playing with dolls. From then to now, what has it been like to see the growth of women’s sports generally, and especially women’s basketball this year?
It’s amazing. It feels like not that long ago that I was in middle school. So it’s been amazing to see the growth and the trajectory of the sport. Knowing where it’s going, we’re not even really scratching the surface yet. I feel like especially this year in the regular season, and in the playoffs, we were breaking records for everything—attendance, viewership, jersey sales. In every category, there were so many firsts. And that’s exciting for the next generation of athletes growing up in a world where this is going to be the new norm.
Ionescu takes the ball during game five of the WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx.
What does it mean to you to see continued investment from Nike and the Liberty owners, in giving the team and the league the support they deserve?
What we need is that real investment. Nike’s obviously always been at the forefront doing that, especially for us in our league, but across sports in general and always putting women first. And they’ve done that from the beginning. That’s why I love being with them and being a big part of that with my shoe business, knowing how important that is for the next generation of athletes. And the next person that comes out with a signature shoe can continue to lay down the foundation for what it is we’re trying to accomplish.
Our owners have done an amazing job as well. They’ve believed in us and wanted to own a team before it was the cool thing to do. They believed in the investment and knowing that if they poured their all into it, the results would show up. So I’m just happy for them as well, because I know how much it means to them.
I know you give a lot of pairs away, but are you going to keep the Sabrina 2s you wore during the finals?
Yes, I’m keeping all my shoes. I’m keeping them all.
What are your plans for the offseason?
Going on vacation. I haven’t thought about where yet, but I’m definitely taking a vacation.
Kayla Webley Adler is the Deputy Editor of ELLE magazine. She writes and edits cover stories, profiles, and narrative features on politics, culture, crime, and social trends. Previously, she worked as the Features Director at Marie Claire magazine and as a Staff Writer at TIME magazine.
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