Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty is one of the best WNBA players at the moment. Ionescu was born in Walnut Creek, California on Dec. 6, 1997, to Dan and Lilian Ionescu. Let's take a look at Sabrina's parents and their history.
Dan Ionescu fled Romania in 1989 around the time of the infamous Christmas Day revolution. He left his wife Liliana Blaj and eldest son Andrei hoping they could join him in a few months. However, it took until 1995 for the family to be reunited in California.
At the time in 1995, Dan owned a limousine service company, and the couple had Sabrina and his twin brother Edward two years later. The twins grew up in a Romanian-speaking household in Northern California. The family had several relatives in the area as well.
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
Sabrina Ionescu picked up a basketball when she was three and never looked back.
Her parents, especially her father Dan, were very supportive of their daughter. Dan told Oregon Live in 2018 how Sabrina wanted to be one of the boys and how it helped her become a great player.
"The very first instinct for Sabrina was to be accepted by the boys," Dan Ionescu said. "She wanted to be with the boys and always driven by that. Now, we know the rest, right?"
In an interview with ESPN a year before Sabrina got drafted into the WNBA, Liliana Ionescu spoke about being on cloud nine due to her daughter's success.
"I still feel like I'm just living in dreams, especially at the bigger games," Liliana said.
"And when I know that next year she's going to join a professional team, it's something that I never thought was going to happen. She's going to play at that level."
Sabrina Ionescu makes history in Liberty's huge win over Aces
The New York Liberty had another statement win over the Las Vegas Aces on Monday to inch closer to the best record in the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu finished the game with 25 points, two rebounds and two assists to lead the Liberty to a 94-85 victory.
It was the Liberty's third win of the season against the league-leading Aces. They're the only WNBA team with a winning record against the defending WNBA champions.
Ionescu also made history in their win over Las Vegas. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Ionescu became the first player in WNBA history to have 600 rebounds and as many assists in her first four seasons in the league.