Former Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu is finally about to make her professional debut. Drafted number one overall by the New York Liberty in the 2020 WNBA Draft, Ionescu has been lighting up the college circuit since 2016. In the four years she spent at Oregon, she averaged 17.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. As she steps onto the WNBA court, fans will be eager to see how her training with the late Kobe Bryant reflects in her game.

Ionescu shared a close relationship with Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers legend met her for the first time in January 2019, when he attended her Oregon game. “They (Kobe and his daughter) sat courtside, where my jaw sat dropped,” Ionescu said. “He congratulated us on the win that day and our season up to that point but said, and I’ll never forget, ‘Don’t shoot yourselves in the foot.’ He meant don’t settle, to keep grinding, control what you can.”

Ionescu’s relationship with Kobe Bryant and his daughter

In Summer 2019, Ionescu trained with Gianna. Then later she came to help Kobe with the coaching of his Mamba Sports Academy team. Talking about Gigi, Ionescu said, “Gigi had so much of her dad’s skill set. You could tell the amount of hours they spent in the gym, practicing her moves. She smiled all the time, but when it was game time, she was ready to kill. Her demeanor changed almost instantly when the whistle blew.”

On 26th January 2020, Ionescu found out the heartbreaking news of Kobe’s death just before her game. But despite this sudden emotional burden, she went out to play. After the game, she said, “This season’s for him.”

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She continued her hard work throughout the season, and it was fruitful when she was drafted number one overall in April. As the WNBA season starts today, Ionescu will be keen to unleash her inner Mamba as she takes her first steps in professional basketball.

Sources:

Sabrina Ionescu Speaks at A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant

Sabrina Ionescu Stats

Sabrina Ionescu on Wikipedia