WNBA Champ 🤩
I would just have to find ways to impact the game… – Sabrina Ionescu
US Olympian Sabrina Ionescu made WNBA news when she and her New York Liberty teammates claimed the league title last month. As a token of Nike’s appreciation for her efforts, she received a commemorative trophy for her most recent iteration of Nike sneakers, the Sabrina 2, and it’s a dazzling piece of hardware she won’t soon forget.
The Real Deal
Nike’s Sabrina 2 WNBA Finals sneaker is the latest of Sabrina Ionescu’s shoes, but it is highly unlikely she expected the sports merchandise giant to gift her a gold pair of those sneakers to adorn her mantle. Bling, bling, bling, let that cash register sing as Ionescu posted the dazzling pair of trophy kicks on her Instagram page.
Nike surprised Sabrina Ionescu with a trophy gold Sabrina 2 display to celebrate her #WNBA Championship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Ex1VNPxOYu
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) November 7, 2024
The display has a gold plaque placed in front of the toes of the gold-encrusted sneakers displaying Sabrina Ionescu’s stats, signifying her many contributions. This season, the 5’11” sharpshooter started all 38 regular season contests, scoring 18.2 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists. During her postseason heroics, she averaged 16.9 PPG, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over 11 games.
“When I was younger, I was always playing with the guys, and I had to find ways to get the ball because they never wanted to pass to me. So, I figured that if I could rebound, I would be able to get the ball myself. 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. I would just have to find ways to impact the game other than shooting or scoring, and that was passing,” Ionescu told the Washington Post.
The Golden Era
Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty dispatched the Minnesota Lynx in the championship finals last month, and she made her contributions felt in the fifth and deciding WNBA game when she posted seven boards, two assists, and a game-high eight assists in the 67-62 overtime series clincher.
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Ionescu’s contributions on the floor aren’t the only reason she is considered an indispensable member of the Liberty. She is also a well-respected veteran whose locker room presence gives her team an intangible few WNBA clubs can match.
This was the Liberty’s third conference crown and first WNBA title, and they are considered a good bet to repeat as 2025 WNBA champions +175 per BetUS odds. New York had a regular season that saw them lead the regular season standings with a stellar 32-8 record and also won 8 of 11 playoff contests to secure their championship.
STEPHEN vs. SABRINA WAS A MOVIE.
Sabrina Ionescu opened on fire and dropped 26… before Stephen Curry came through in the clutch to win it with 29!
Enjoy. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Sz104f95FZ
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Nevertheless, WNBA rumors are swirling as to the return of three players on the Liberty’s championship squad for the 2025 season. Courtney Vandersloot will be 36 next year and may call it a career, while Kennedy Burke was a non-factor in the Finals. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is a forward the Liberty would like to keep, but her contract may be a bit too expensive as leading scorer Breanna Stewart’s contract negotiations are paramount in the offseason.
Ionescu will earn a base salary of $208,060 and will be in the last year of her two-year deal in this upcoming 2025 season.
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