Over the weekend, Sabrina Ionescu, NY Liberty guard, tied the knot with her fiancé Hroniss Grasu in a picturesque wedding in Laguna Beach, California. The couple threw a fairytale-like celebration. One of Ionescu’s guests was Vanessa Bryant, wife of late Kobe Bryant, with whom she had a strong mentee relationship. Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally and Pau Gasol were among the stars in attendance at the wedding ceremony.

Posting a picture of the bride with the backdrop of a sunset, Vanessa captioned the post, “Congratulations to @sabrina_i and @h_grasu !!! Such a beautiful couple. Wishing you both the very best, always!!! Xo.” While Vanessa sparkled in a gold gown, Natalia looked statuesque in a shimmery emerald dress accentuated with her bob. The Liberty guard kept it understated in classic Grecian-style drapery and her hair in a ponytail with minimal accessories. The sunset seemed to be a popular attraction at this wedding.

In addition, she shared another black-and-white photo of her and Ionescu on her Instagram Story. In the picture, she and the bride snapped a picture together in a photo booth.

Ionescu’s husband, Hroniss, is an NFL center for the Las Vegas Raiders. After being selected in the third round of the 2015 draft he’s had additional stints with the Bears, Ravens, and 49ers. Ionescu played for Oregon women’s basketball from 2016 until 2020 while Grasu represented the Ducks football team from 2010 until 2014. The former Oregon stars are both of Romanian descent. They even invited their college mascot, the Oregon Duck, to the wedding.

The 26-year-old got engaged to NFL star Grasu in 2023. The WNBA-NFL power couple had kept their wedding details under wraps but their guests couldn’t resist sharing photographs. Sharing a photo from inside the couple’s reception, former Ducks teammate and two-time Dallas Wings All-Star Satou Sabally posted: “To an everlasting bond of love what an amazing wedding of two very special people, a weekend full of two very special people, a weekend full of smiles and happy tears.”

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Even with so many guests around, Kobe’s family’s presence was special to Sabrina. She knew Kobe Bryant as a mentor in her days before she became a star in the WNBA.

Sabrina Ionescu is special to Kobe Bryant’s family

Ionescu knew Kobe Bryant as a mentor in her days before she became a star in the WNBA. The friendship between Kobe Bryant and Sabrina was born out of their shared dream: to elevate women’s basketball to the national level. Along the way, the 26-year-old became friends with Kobe’s daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, worked on her game with Kobe, and rose to college basketball stardom at Oregon. She credited Kobe for pushing her and thanked him for being in her life through her victories and defeats.

Ionescu worked out with Gianna Bryant twice over the summer ahead of the 2019-20 season and even came down to help Bryant coach her team, the Mamba Ballers. She has since maintained a lasting friendship with the late NBA star’s family. Vanessa and her daughters are often seen cheering for Ionescu when playing for New York Liberty and it was fitting that they joined her for her big day with Grasu.

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When Ionescu announced her engagement to Grasu in January 2023, Vanessa was among the first to celebrate the couple. “Woooohoooooo!!! Yay!!!! Congratulations!!!!!” 

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