Sabrina Ionescu visits Iowa, gifts Nike shoes ahead of Final Four
After arriving in Cleveland to make preparations for Friday’s Final Four matchup against UConn, Iowa had a surprise visitor. Oregon great Sabrina Ionescu stopped by to meet the Hawkeyes – and she came with gifts.
Ionescu presented each player with Nike gift bags and her Sabrina 1 shoes as they get ready for Friday’s game. She also had a message for the Hawkeyes, who have become the talk of women’s basketball as its popularity continues to explode.
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“Enjoy what you guys have done so far,” Ionescu said. “Enjoy where you’re at. It’s a lot bigger than yourselves, and I think you guys are seeing that from what you guys have been able to do in the last couple years here. How it’s just changed the sport and how it’s changed the lives of so many people in your guys’ area, but also, just around the world.”
Ionescu, of course, knows what it’s like to play on women’s basketball’s biggest stage. Her Oregon teams played in back-to-back Elite Eights and made a run to the Final Four in 2019.
Now in the early stages of her WNBA career, Ionescu has made back-to-back All-Star games and competed against Stephen Curry in a three-point contest at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. That event could soon include Caitlin Clark, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Ionescu’s experiences gave her some perspective to pass along to the Iowa players.
“Enjoy playing for one another,” Ionescu said. “You’re never gonna get another one like this. There’s never gonna be another team that you guys are gonna be on that feels like this. … Be proud of how you guys have represented yourself, represented your team and what you’ve done for everyone, not just Iowa basketball.”
Nike continues to celebrate Iowa ahead of Final Four
Throughout the season, Nike has celebrated Iowa women’s basketball in several ways. Its campaign centered around Clark as part of her NIL deal with the company, releasing shirts to celebrate her NCAA women’s basketball scoring record and Division I scoring record. During the season, she also gave her teammates shoes on her birthday.
Clark and the Hawkeyes have been in the spotlight all season, and it doesn’t look like they’ll leave anytime soon. Their Elite Eight matchup against LSU shattered viewership records and became the most-watched college basketball game – men’s or women’s – in ESPN history with an average of 12.3 million viewers tuning in. Clark scored 41 points to lead Iowa to the 94-87 victory to advance to the Final Four for the second straight year.
Iowa will now look to return to the national championship with Paige Bueckers and UConn awaiting in a star-studded showdown on Friday. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.