Sabrina Ionescu Joins Oregon as Director of Athletic Culture During WNBA Offseason
November 11, 2022
New York Liberty star point guard Sabrina Ionescu is joining her alma mater, the University of Oregon, in a part-time staff role as the school's director of athletic culture.
"There is no better person I could think of for this position than Sabrina. Sabrina exemplifies what it means to be an Oregon Duck and she represents everything our program is about," Oregon women's basketball head coach Kelly Graves stated in an announcement revealing the news.
"Even in just a part-time capacity, she will have the ability to make an immediate impact on our student-athletes and our program as a whole. She truly is a basketball icon that will be able to connect and develop our players off the court."
Ionescu left Oregon as one of the most accomplished players in recent college basketball memory. She is the first player in (female or male) NCAA history to amass at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists. Ionescu is also No. 1 (female or male) in triple-doubles with 26.
Under her leadership, Oregon won the 2020 Pac-12 championship and was set to enter the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed after going 31-2 (17-1 in conference). However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the remainder of the season.
Per the statement, Ionescu will assist "with the development of student-athletes and cultivate Graves' five pillars of Oregon women's basketball: passion, integrity, unity, thankfulness and servanthood." The statement also says Ionescu "will be a resource and example for current, former and future Ducks."
Ionescu earned a bachelor's degree in general social sciences with a minor in legal studies at Oregon in addition to her athletic prowess. Her contributions to the school will continue in this part-time role, however, and she spoke on the matter as well.
"As a kid growing up in the game, my family helped me develop my passion for basketball and all the values it rewards," Ionescu said.
"When I arrived at Oregon, I joined a new family that embraced those same values and helped me grow even more as a player and as a person. Part of my heart remains in Eugene, and I look forward to cultivating the same family atmosphere for future Ducks in the Oregon women's basketball program."
Ionescu has since played in three WNBA seasons and most recently made her first All-Star Game in 2022. She averaged 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists last season en route to leading the Liberty to the playoffs for the second straight year.