Sabrina Ionescu reflects on iconic Oregon legacy that sparked it all: Greater than any accolade
EUGENE, Ore.— Kelly Graves, head coach of Oregon’s women’s basketball team, stood astonished by what he saw from an overhang.It was Dec.
14, 2019.Beneath him was the court where the Ducks blasted Long Beach State by 36 and where two crowds had remained 15 minutes after the game ended.One huddle of fans seeking autographs, selfies and a proximity to greatness encircled Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, who brought two of her friends to the game.The other huddle — noticeably larger — created a portrait of star power Graves would never forget.
Because at the center was his senior point guard.He witnessed live the magnetism of Sabrina Ionescu and he could hardly believe what he saw.“The crowd around Sabrina was twice the size around Kobe,” Graves told The Post.
“It was like who’s the real star here? It was incredible.… It was very, very telling that this was somebody who was pretty popular.”She would wind up with a signature Nike shoe that’s become one of the most worn sneakers in the NBA.She would become popular enough to warrant the three-city Sabrina Ionescu Asia Tour in Manila, Guangzhou and Hong Kong that drew thousands.She would become the face of one of the WNBA’s legacy franchises.But all of what she would become, the iconic figure to which she’d ascend, was first sparked at Oregon.Her grand return to Matthew Knight Arena for the Liberty’s preseason finale against the Toyota Antelopes of the Women’s Japan Basketball League on Monday shined the spotlight on the origin of her brand.For Ionescu, it was a chance to show gratitude and give back to the community that supported her through thick and thin.“This was home for four years and kind of my first home away from home,” Ionescu said.
“And so that’s something that you never lose sight of and you always have those feelings every time you come back.”Ionescu claimed her old stall in the Ducks locker room.She was set to run through the tunnel as a player, knowing it woul...