New York Liberty standout Sabrina Ionescu surprised the Iowa women's basketball team ahead of its Final Four showdown against UConn. In a video posted to the team's X account Wednesday, Ionescu greeted the players and gifted them brand new pairs of her signature shoe, the Sabrina 1's.
Ionescu had a chance to speak to Iowa after her surprise arrival, and she delivered a very uplifting message to Caitlin Clark and the rest of the Hawkeyes.
Surprise, Surprise!
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 4, 2024
Thank you, @Nike & @sabrina_i20! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/lPvIBhD1nC
"Enjoy playing for one another," Ionescu said. "You're never going to get another room like this, there's never going to be another team that you guys are going to be on that's like this. Be proud of how you guys have represented yourself, represented your team and what you've done for everyone, not just Iowa basketball."
Ionescu was one of the most decorated women's collegiate basketball stars in recent years. Much like Clark, the Liberty star reached the Final Four back in 2019 when she played for Oregon, but the Ducks never made the national title game.
The Liberty selected Ionescu with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft following her stellar career at Oregon. She has since gone on to make two WNBA All-Star games.
Iowa will have a chance to reach the national title game for the second consecutive season when they take on No. 3 seed UConn on Friday.
