Sabrina Ionescu Surprises Iowa Basketball Team With Nike Shoes Ahead of Final Four

Madison Williams | Apr 3, 2024

Feb 17, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) talks about the All-Star Game. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Iowa women's basketball team hosted a special guest ahead of Friday's Final Four matchup against UConn: New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu.

As one of the biggest names in the WNBA, Ionescu wanted to inspire and motivate the Hawkeyes by giving them an uplifting speech, then surprising the team with brand new Nike shoes—specifically her Sabrina 1's. The shoes were yellow with the Hawkeye logo on them.

Ionescu spoke with the players after the surprise. She hugged the players, too, including star Caitlin Clark.

"Enjoy playing for one another," Ionescu said to the team in a video shared on social media. "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."

Surprise, Surprise!

Thank you, @Nike & @sabrina_i20! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/lPvIBhD1nC

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) April 4, 2024

The WNBA star reached one Final Four during her career at Oregon in 2019. The Ducks didn't reach the final, though, unlike Iowa last year.

The Hawkeyes will take on UConn at 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, with a return trip to the championship game on the line.