Sabrina Ionescu drops 2-word reaction to Kobe Bryant's daughter Natalia Bryant in wholesome birthday tribute 

During her rise to stardom in women's basketball, Sabrina Ionescu built up a strong relationship with Hall of Fame guard Kobe Bryant. Years removed from his tragic death, she still shares a close bond with his children.

Ionescu regularly trained with Bryant early in her career, becoming friends with his daughters in the process. The New York Liberty guard recently took to social media with a small message for Natalia Bryant on her birthday.

Sabrina Ionescu posted a photo of her and Natalia on her Instagram story with a small caption on her special day:

"Birthday queen," Ionescu wrote.

Via @sabrina_I on Instagram

Natalia is the oldest of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant's children, turning 22 years old on Sunday. She is finishing up college at USC, while also starting to pave a career path for herself. Last year, she made her modeling debut on the runway at Milan Fashion Week in Italy.

Over the summer, Ionescu got to share a special moment with Natalia and the rest of the Bryant girls. The WNBA All-Star was among the women who made the trip to France and competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics. After securing a gold medal, the first people Ionescu celebrated with the Bryants who were sitting courtside.

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Sabrina Ionescu shines in Unrivaled debut

This offseason, Sabrina Ionescu is starting a new chapter of her career. Following the announcement of Unrivaled expanding their rosters, she inked a deal with the new league as a "wild card."

Over the weekend, Ionescu was in action during Unrivaled's opening matchups. She and "Phantom BC" played their first game on Saturday against "Laces." Aside from Ionescu, other notable members of Phantom include Satou Sabally, Natasha Cloud and Brittney Griner.

While their team wasn't able to pick up a win, Sabrina Ionescu put together a strong performance in her Unrivaled debut. She was in the starting lineup for Phantom and scored a team-high 18 points. The majority of her points came from beyond the arc, connecting on five triples.

Ionescu and Phantom are set to be back in action on Monday, facing off against Vinyl.

The former No. 1 pick is suiting up in Unrivaled fresh off the most successful year of her career in the WNBA. Ionescu was named an All-Star for a third straight season after averaging 18.2 points and 6.2 assists for the New York Liberty. Along with winning a gold medal in the Olympics, she also helped lead her team to a WNBA championship.