Ducks Digest

New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Announces Asia Tour With Nike, Visiting China, Philippines

After winning the WNBA Finals with the New York Liberty, former Oregon Ducks star Sabrina Ionescu is set to grow her brand across the world, announcing an international tour to Asia. Announced on Monday, Ionescu will be traveling with Nike to the Philippines and China.

Charlie Viehl

Sabrina Ionescu mimes taking a shot during her appearance on the court during the game between Oregon Ducks and Baylor at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
Sabrina Ionescu mimes taking a shot during her appearance on the court during the game between Oregon Ducks and Baylor at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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After winning the WNBA Finals with the New York Liberty, former Oregon Ducks star Sabrina Ionescu is set to grow her brand across the world, announcing an international tour to Asia. Announced on Monday, Ionescu will be traveling with Nike to the Philippines and China.

Specifically, she will be visiting Manila before making appearances in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

“I’m excited to connect with basketball fans across Manila, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, especially young hoopers. You can feel their passion for the game, even from New York. Together we will celebrate the game, and I hope we inspire each other to achieve our dreams with dedication, commitment and hard work," said Ionescu in a release from Nike.

Last summer, Ionescu's international travels consisted of winning a gold medal with Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. This year, she'll head to a different continent to promote the release of her next Nike shoe.

Ionescu has already made two shoes with Nike, the Sabrina 1 and Sabrina 2. The Sabrina 3 is expected to be released in the fall of 2025. It will be her third signature shoe with Nike in only three years.

Both the Sabrina 1 and Sabrina 2 are immensely popular in the United States. Nick DePaula of Boardroom reported that the Sabrina 2 is the second-most worn shoe by NBA players behind only the Kobe 6 when judging by total minutes worn. Will her third shoe have similar success?

Ionescu's upcoming trip to Asia suggests the growth in her popularity is not stopping anytime soon.

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"Sabrina Ionescu is embarking on her first Asia tour, visiting the Philippines and China to share her message of inspiration and strength with young hoopers and further introduce herself to the global basketball community," reads the announcement by Nike.

Nike signed Ionescu to a multi-year sneaker deal upon her graduation from Oregon, and the contract was reportedly worth upwards of $24 million. Obviously, Ionescu and Nike were connected during her time as a Duck, but changes to name, image, and likeness rules did not arrive in college athletics until Ionescu was already playing in the WNBA.

The former Oregon Duck star won the WNBA title with the New York Liberty in 2024, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in five games to win the championship. Ionescu averaged 12.4 points and 5.4 assists per game.

Sabrina Ionescu, of the New York Liberty acknowledges the fans, Thursday, October 24, 2024, in Manhattan
Sabrina Ionescu, of the New York Liberty acknowledges the fans, Thursday, October 24, 2024, in Manhattan. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After the WNBA season, Ionescu made headlines by signing with Unrivaled, a new 3-on3 basketball league that is currently taking place. Ionescu is a member of the Phantom Basketball Club with fellow former Oregon Duck Satou Sabally. While Ionescu came away with a ring in the WNBA playoffs, her 3-on-3 team is currently struggling and has a losing record.

The Liberty will be returning the majority of its championship-winning cast in 2025 when Ionescu returns from Asia. Both Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart have won WNBA MVP and WNBA Finals MVP in their respective careers, and both will be returning to New York this season.

The WNBA season begins on May 16 with the WNBA Draft scheduled for April 14.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is a 23-year old Boston College graduate and is an Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans beat reporter for On SI. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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