Sabrina Ionescu probably got lost in the limelight due to Caitlin Clark’s undisputed rule on the women’s basketball scene during the March Madness. But still Sabrina, the WNBA pro is a brand on her own.
After creating a lot of buzz by stepping up against one of the greatest 3-point shooters of all time, Stephen Curry during the NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, Sabrina Ionescu was able to promote the WNBA extensively. As it seems she is still riding that wave as one of her memorabilia scored amazing numbers in the latest NBA auction.
Sabrina Ionescu’s NBA vs WNBA 3-point contest jersey sells at auction
The NBA recently teamed up with Sotheby’s to put some coveted memorabilia up for grabs via live auction. The speciality of these memorabilia is that they are all game-worn. Among the collectibles was Sabrina Ionescu’s jersey which she wore during her 3-point shooting contest against Steph Curry back in February.
According to Mantel, a fan shelled out $21,590 to take the jersey home for his own collection. The fan later wrote regarding his purchase of the memorabilia, which was labeled as “NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge” jersey.
@alexisohanian won the Sabrina Ionescu ‘NBA vs WNBA 3-Point Challenge’ jersey in auction for $21,590 😳
— Mantel (@onMantel) April 12, 2024
First seen on Mantel 😎 pic.twitter.com/lUbyVWr3Vk
Among the other items up for auction were Curry’s jersey from the groundbreaking contest, this year’s NBA All-Star jerseys worn by players like LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, MVP contender Luka Doncic and more.
The winning fan at the auction wasn’t the only one to be ecstatic about his gain, as Sabrina was also out there making the day for a notable name in the game.
Sabrina Ionescu surprises Caitlin Clark with special gift
Prior to entering the Final Four stage of the NCAA tournament, Caitlin Clark and her Iowa team received a big surprise from the current face of the WNBA, Sabrina Ionescu.
To encourage the Hawkeyes, one of the Nike officials called out Sabrina, whose entry received a lot of cheers from the Iowa members. The Liberty guard gifted Nike Sabrina 1s to the entire team, her kind gesture brought a smile to their faces.
Apart from the gift, the 2-time WNBA All-Star appreciated the team for accomplishing so much and said, “Enjoy what you guys have done so far, 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 of years here.”
The message to the Iowa team echoed her inspirational quote left on the bottom of the shoe. The message reads, “For those who love the game as much as I do…for the hardest workers, relentless dream seekers, and for those paving the way. For those who work tirelessly to perfect their craft without ever looking at the clock. This shoe is for you on your pursuit to becoming the best you can be.”
Despite putting up a hard fight against UConn and reaching the finals, the Hawkeyes lost the championship title to South Carolina ending the journey of their most successful player Caitlin Clark, but she gained the respect of many on the way. On the flip side, fans will get to see a matchup between Sabrina and Caitlin in a not-too-distant future.
