During Tuesday's 94-85 win against the Las Vegas Aces, Sabrina Ionescu produced a signature shoe-worthy performance.
The first assist that Ionescu — the New York Liberty's star point guard — recorded on Tuesday was the 600th of her young career, making her the first player in WNBA history to have 600 rebounds and 600 assists through her first four seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Ionescu also scored 25 points during the win, which put her over 1,500 points scored throughout her career. This makes Ionescu the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 600 assists — having done so in just 102 games. The next fastest players to do so were Shannon Johnson (141 games) and Diana Taurasi (145 games).
These historic milestones could not come at a better time for Ionescu. Not only are her New York Liberty 28-7 on the season, won the 2023 Commissioner's Cup two weeks ago, and are clearly catching fire prior to the playoffs, but Ionescu's first signature shoe with Nike — the Sabrina 1 — also is releasing on Sept. 1.
The Sabrina 1 is about to set its own milestones. "Ionescu is the first women's basketball player to deliver a unisex signature collection with Nike," said Kerry Sobol, Global VP Women's Team and Organized Sports. "We are thrilled she will lead the charge with us and continue to change the scope of the game for future generations."
In addition to being Nike's first unisex signature shoe, the Sabrina 1 will feature intricate embroidery patterns that show respect to Ionescu's Romanian heritage. The shoe's design is highlighted by a dotted "i" (for Ionescu) that wraps around the shoe's outsole and ends on its heel. There is also a hidden "Anyone, Anywhere" quote somewhere on the shoe that references Ionescu's belief that dreamers can come from anywhere.
This is clearly the Summer of Sabrina. Ionescu is producing on-court milestones and dropping signature shoes; the Liberty are 9-1 in their last 10 games; and last month, Ionescu made 25 of 27 shots in one round during the 2023 WNBA 3-Point Contest, which won her the contest and set another WNBA record.
All that's left for Ionescu to do is lead her Liberty to their first-ever WNBA Finals championship later this year. Considering how her 2023 has gone, more victory seems to be in store soon — and not just at Nike.
