After Sabrina Ionescu's record-breaking NCAA career at Oregan and being the first pick in the WNBA draft, she is looking ahead to what she wants to do with her career and the influence she hopes to have at New York Liberty.
In an interview with The Guardian, the headline-making point-guard who is the first-ever collegiate basketball player to exceed 2000 points, 1000 assists and 1000 rebounds, recalled how far things have progressed since she first started playing. She said: "The after-school program at my middle school didn’t have enough girls for a team and they wouldn’t allow me to play on the boys’ team.
“So I had to find a bunch of girls who were willing to play. Which I did.”
When it came to picking a university, her choice echoed her school experience. She told the paper that she picked Oregan for the opportunity to start building something from very little. She said she wanted to "grow a program and grow the university into what it is today. I’m excited to be able to say I was a part of that”.
Ionescu also spoke to The Guardian about how she wants to use her platform to change the way women's sports are viewed. “There are so many in women’s sports that have been using their platforms and it’s been inspirational to be able to see that," she explained, adding, “I see myself jumping on board and doing the same thing."
As the first pick and with such an impressive legacy already, all eyes will be on Ionescu when the WNBA season does start, and she said she is looking forward to joining her new team in New York.
She said: “I’m excited to stand for something more than just being a basketball player in that city and using it for a bigger purpose. I want to be able to use my platform and voice to stand for something more. We’re already at a disadvantage as it is. Hopefully, I can help bring appreciation and value into the game regardless of your gender. Trying to use sport to change the way society views us as a whole.”