Sabrina Ionescu hasn't forgotten her California roots, which helped make her one of the WNBA's top stars.
The former Oregon Duck begins her sixth season with the New York Liberty in May 2025, and what she's already accomplished in her young career is nothing short of amazing. The 27-year-old guard has an impressive resumé, which includes three WNBA All-Star nods, three All-WNBA Second Team honors and a historic WNBA championship.
Ahead of NBA All-Star Weekend, we caught up with Ionescu as she hosted a special youth laptop distribution event with AT&T to celebrate and bring awareness to Digital Literacy Day. "I'm really excited," Ionescu told For The Win.
"Obviously, [I'm] from the Bay Area, and so being able to team up with AT&T [and] give back to a community -- obviously meant so much to me. I went to school here and was able to be a part of learning and education and understanding how important it is. I'm definitely very excited to be able to team up with my foundation and everything that we're standing for and to just continue to help the youth and give back."
Ionescu also shared with For The Win why Breanna Stewart's leadership mattered during the Liberty's title run, what she really thought about Nike's "So Win" Super Bowl commercial and why she's so stoked about A'ja Wilson's new signature shoes.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Being back in The Bay for All-Star Weekend gives you a chance to see Steph Curry again. What keeps your bond with him so strong?
I would say, obviously, being a kid that grew up in the Bay Area, going to games, watching him, wanting to be like him and kind of having that idol to look up to ... It's pretty storybook to think of our relationship now, just knowing that, obviously, he's a close friend, a mentor -- someone who just has helped me throughout my career and have been really close with him.
So, I would say it's definitely kind of this full-circle moment knowing, you know, I was in the stands watching him play and now I have a great relationship with him. And, you know, I couldn't have imagined that would be the case when I was little, but, very thankful for that for sure.
Who was someone that shared advice with you or kept you grounded during the New York Liberty's historic championship run?
I would say the veterans on our team who have gone through that. Obviously, Breanna Stewart was someone who has won championships, who has played at that level.
You know that was the first time that I played in the elimination game in the Finals, and so, she was someone who was just that voice to our entire team -- of understanding kind of what it took to win, and, you know, obviously that leadership is what we needed.
What was a moment you'll never forget from your championship parade celebration?
Just being able to celebrate with my family -- you know, a lot of people who kind of supported me throughout that entire season. A lot of my family was still there, and, just kind of being able to take it all in.
Obviously, the entire city came out to support us, and it was the first time, you know, New York had a parade in a really long time. So, I just remember how fun it was to see all the young boys and girls, you know, pack the streets and celebrate us, and it's a moment that I still think about.
Your legacy is still growing, but when your career is done, what do you hope it says about you?
I think it's just to continue to play the game in the right way, and obviously, I've been staying true to myself throughout, you know, the entire process. But it's obviously to leave the game better than you found it.
And I think that's something that I continue and try and do by playing, but also just by continuing to inspire the next generation of athletes that are growing up where they can come to games, they can watch, they can kind of be that young generation that hopes and dreams of playing in the WNBA.
We always have a few fun questions. What were your immediate thoughts after seeing the finished Nike "So Win" ad?
I have a great relationship with Nike -- have been a part of the family for a really long time -- so, knowing that they put women at the forefront of what it is they wanted to do on Super Bowl weekend was something that obviously didn't surprise me.
That's, that's obviously what they stand for and continue to invest in. And so being surrounded by some of the best women in all of sports was something really exciting and definitely the highlight for me of the Super Bowl.
How do you feel about A'ja Wilson joining the Nike signature shoe club with her A'ones?
I think it was amazing. I know having to keep it a secret and how you kind of can't wait to just show the world what you've been working on for a few years. And, so, [I] was so excited that she was able to kind of have that moment.
I loved the announcement. I loved her line that she was able to tease and just how it was really authentic to her. The shoe looks amazing. I loved the colors. You know, kind of going with that like vibrant pink.
I just think it's a really good-looking shoe. So, I'm just so excited for her to kind of join the signature family and knowing how, together at Nike, we're just gonna continue to elevate the game of basketball.
What surprised you the most about Unrivaled's one-on-one tournament?
The one-on-one tournament has been awesome -- being able to see, you know, how hard everyone's competing and how competitive it is. I knew that that was gonna be the case.
I think it's also just exciting. One-on-one is something that everyone always wants to see. Everyone's always talking about matchups and players going out there and being able to compete and showcase their skill sets. So, I think that's been really exciting.