WATCH: WNBA stars Sabrina Ionescu & Nyara Sabally reunite with Oregon Ducks mascot for cheerful snap

Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally were in for a pleasant surprise when the New York Liberty took on the Washington Mystics in New York City. The WNBA stars had a familiar face cheering for them in the crowd, the Oregon Ducks mascot. The former Ducks women's basketball stars reunited with the mascot for a cheerful snap and a clip of their interaction has gone viral on social media.

Ionescu has been the backbone of Liberty since her induction into the team in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She was joined by Sabally when the team drafted the talented player from her alma mater, the University of Oregon, in 2022. They might have already made it to the WNBA, but their connection to Oregon and the Duck is still pretty solid.

Here is the clip of the former Oregon Ducks stars Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally posing with the Duck in New York.

According to Ionescu, she was surprised to see the mascot of her alma mater cheering for her. Talking to the reporters after the game, the Liberty point guard said:

"I was on the court like, is that who I think it is?"

It really was who she thought it was. But it wasn't the first time that the Duck had met Ionescu after her time in Oregon. The mascot was one of the guests at her wedding back in March.

The Liberty continued their winning run as they got the better of the Mystics in a close fight. The hosts won with a 93-88 scoreline.

Sabrina Ionescu defended Caitlin Clark’s off day against New York Liberty

A few days ago, Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally were up against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The game turned out to be the worst in Clark's short time in the league as the Liberty won by a massive margin of 104-68. After the game, Ionescu came to the defense of the former Iowa Hawkeyes star, saying having a game like this wasn't really a big deal.

"(Indiana Fever) came off a tough back-to-back, so it's a little bit tough for them. But they'll figure it out. It's not that big of a deal to have a game like that," Sabrina said about the game.

Clark played 29 minutes of the game but managed to score just three points for her team. Her shooting left a lot to be desired as just one of her 10 attempts ended in a bucket. It was also from beyond the three point line as Ionescu and the Liberty shut the NCAA all-time scoring leader out almost completely.