Sabrina Ionescu Showcase continues to grow: WNBA All-Star, champion hasn't forgot her Bay Area roots

Three-time All-Star and WNBA champion for the New York Liberty hosts a two-day, 24-game event in Concord Friday and Saturday

Sabrina Ionescu (right) takes a team picture with Carondelet after winning a North Coast Section championship. She'll take photos with all the winning teams on Saturday, the second of two days of the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase at Carondelet and De La Salle high schools / Photo: Courtesy Carondelet

CONCORD, Calif. — When her former high school coach Kelly Sopak used to call Sabrina Ionescu "The Franchise," she hated it. Worse than hate.

"She doesn't like any extra attention," he told us. "She deplores it."

That was almost a decade ago and since, well, what she's accomplished out of humble Miramonte High School in Orinda has earned her more than extra attention.

• WEST COACH JAMBOREE | Mater Dei travels well

She is a franchise. But one still rooted in humbleness. Hard work. And mostly, giving back.

For the fourth time she, Sopak and Carondelet High School will host the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase Friday and Saturday. (see complete schedule below)

The event has grown from a modest one day, six game showcase to now a two-day, 24-game event hosted at two venues, Carondelet and brother school De La Salle in Concord, Calif.

Sabrina Ionescu gives back while donating time for free workshops for youth players. / Courtesy: SI20 Foundation

Sopak, who moved on from Miramonte where with four years of stardom from Ionescu, won 306 games while losing 46 over 11 seasons, to Carondelet. With Ionescu those four seasons, Miramonte was 119-9. She broke every scoring, assist, rebound record in the book, finished off by averaging 28.5 points, 9.7 assists, 8.3 rebounds and 5.5 steals per game, earning her National Player of the Year honors by USA Today and a McDonald's All-American game MVP trophy.

And that was just for starters. What's she's done from there is beyond even her wildest of dreams, most recently winning an WNBA championship with the New York Liberty on Oct. 21, the first in franchise history and the first professional basketball title in New York since 1973.

Everything she touches, appears to turn to gold. Or gold medals.

• NIKE TOC | Monarchs rule

That includes the rapid growth of her Showcase,

"It's unbelievable the response from everyone," Sopak said. "Everyone wants to be a part of it."

Besides Ionescu, a three-time WNBA All-star who just won a league championship with the New York Liberty, being on both sites Saturday, the showcase features most of the Bay Area’s top teams, many of the state’s best and three of the nation’s elite. 

Archbishop Mitty (8-0), powered by two-time Chronicle Player of the Year and two-time All-American McKenna Woliczko, is ranked No. 1 in the country after its surprisingly lopsided 59-34 victory over previous No. 1 Ontario Christian at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix on Dec. 21. 

Mitty girls pose last season after defeating University in a Showcase game / Photo: Sam Stringer

Ontario Christian (18-1), led by one of the nation’s top sophomores in dynamic 5-foot-6 guard Kaleena Smith, and two highly ranked freshmen in Sydney Douglas (6-7) and Tati Griffin (5-11), will get a shot at revenge in a 3:30 p.m. Saturday game at Carondelet in the Showcase’s most anticipated game. 

Both teams will get warmups on Friday, with Mitty taking on Central Section power St. Joseph-Santa Maria at 5 p.m., and Ontario Christian playing Arizona juggernaut Millennium (8-3) at 8 p.m. 

• ALL-AMERICAN DUEL | Woliczko, Mitty outlast Davidson, Clackamas

In between those games is probably the second-most intriguing matchup of the Showcase as host Carondelet (10-2) takes on two-time defending California Open champion Etiwanda (8-4). The Eagles feature two of the nation’s top seniors in 5-5 point guard Allyahna “Puff” Morris, a Cal signee, and LSU-bound Grace Knox, a 6-2 wing. 

Knox is ranked the No. 6 senior in the country by ESPN and Morris No. 24. The Eagles will travel back to Southern California after Friday's game and play in a Saturday event at Mater Dei-Santa Ana.

“They’ve played a national schedule, had some injuries and have added a couple of transfers who are now eligible,” Sopak said of Etiwanda. “We’re playing very well and don’t have a single senior on our roster. This will be a major challenge.”  

Sabrina Ionescu poses with Carondelet players and Kelly Sopak during last year's Sabrina Ionescu Showcase / Photo: Sam Stringer

Carondelet (11-2) took fifth place at Nike TOC after a 56-54 win over Fayetteville (Ark.) behind 17 points from Celeste Alvarez, 14 by Janel Nevares and 13 from all-tournament selection Layla Dixon. 

Besides handing out awards and water, Ionescu, as part of her SI20 Foundation, will run a free camp for youth 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Power Sposrts Academy in Martinez. It’s the second year in a row she has donated her time to both events. 

“She doesn’t just want to give her name to the event, she sincerely wants to give time to it,” Sopak said. “Her family, this region, the game locally and globally, is so important to her.” 

Sabrina Ionescu (SI20) Showcase

FRIDAY

At Carondelet
12:30 p.m. — Miramonte vs. Washington-Fremont
2 p.m. — McNair vs. Redwood-Larkspur
3:30 p.m. — Clayton Valley vs. Piedmont
5 p.m. — Mitty vs. St. Joseph-Santa Maria
6:30 p.m. — Carondelet vs. Etiwanda
8 p.m. — Millennium (Ariz.) vs. Ontario Christian

At De La Salle
11 a.m. — Branson vs. Dougherty Valley
12:30 p.m. — Liberty vs. Campolindo
2 p.m. — Marin Catholic vs. Pinole Valley
3:30 p.m. — St. Mary’s-Stockton vs. Los Gatos
5 p.m. — Jefferson (Ore.) vs. Rancho Buena Vista-San Diego
6:30 p.m. — St. Patrick-St. Vincent vs. Foothill-Palo Cedro
8 p.m. — South Medford (Ore.) vs. Acalanes

SATURDAY

At Carondelet
9:45 a.m. — Marin Catholic vs. Granada
11 a.m. — Branson vs. Campolindo
12:30 p.m. — South Medford (Ore.) vs. Foothill-Palo Cedro
2 p.m. — Jefferson (Ore.) vs. Alameda
3:30 p.m. — Ontario Christian vs. Mitty
5 p.m. — Colfax vs. St. Francis
6:30 p.m. Clayton Valley vs. Salesian
8 p.m. — Miramonte vs. Cornerstone Christian

At De La Salle
9:45 a.m. — St. Patrick-St. Vincent vs. Liberty-Brentwood
11 a.m. — Rancho Buena Vista vs. California
12:30 p.m. — University vs. Millennium (Ariz.)
2 p.m. — Moreau Catholic vs. St. Joseph-Santa Maria
3:30 p.m. — Pinole Valley vs. Maria Carrillo
5 p.m. — Pinewood vs. Folsom
6:30 p.m. — McClatchy vs. Riordan
8 p.m. — Redwood vs. Oakland Tech