Sports

Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu makes history against Stanford

February 25, 2020
newszetu
10:33 PM ET

  • Mechelle VoepelESPN.com

    Close

      Mechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

STANFORD, Calif. — Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu on Monday night became the first Division I college basketball player (men or women) to collect 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in a career.

Ionescu previously had passed the mark in points and assists, but she entered Monday’s game against No. 4 Stanford just nine rebounds short of 1,000. She hit that mark on a defensive rebound with 1:52 left in the third quarter for the No. 3 Ducks.

Ionescu had four rebounds at halftime, when Stanford led 32-22. She then picked up five rebounds in the third quarter.

Ionescu started the day in Los Angeles, where she spoke at the memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna at Staples Center. Ionescu then took a charter flight back to the Bay Area for the game, which tipped off at 9 p.m. ET.

Oregon coach Kelly Graves said before the game that he had told his team that with all that Ionescu was going through this weekend, it needed to be ready to support her emotionally Monday night.

But he added: “If anybody can handle this, it’s Sabrina. To see a guard with 1,000 rebounds, that’s incredible. We may be seeing something we’ll never see again.”

Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry attended Monday’s game. He also attended Oregon’s victory Friday at Cal, where Ionescu collected her 25th triple-double of the season with 17 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.

Asked about Ionescu’s rebounding ability as a 5-foot-12 guard, Curry said, “It takes awareness, hustle and just as sense of pride in that part of your game.”

Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer also praised Ionescu’s ability to have such a high-level all-around game and what that’s brought to both Oregon and the Pac-12. In particular, she lauded Ionescu’s prowess on the boards.

“If you watch her rebound, especially offensively, she tracks the ball really well,” VanDerveer said. “The ball is moving, and she’s moving to it. Other people are watching it, but she’s moving to where it’s going.

“She’s phenomenal, a really, really talented player. That [2K/1K/1K] statistic is phenomenal, the triple-doubles are phenomenal.”

Credit: Source link