Sabrina Ionescu Explains Wild Viral Shot With Seven-Word Message
There's a new frontrunner for wildest shot of the 2024 WNBA season.
In the fourth quarter of Friday's game between the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm, Liberty star guard Sabrina Ionescu fell to the ground while taking a tough shot inside the paint. The shot missed, but the rebound found its way back to Ionescu while she was still on her knees. Ionescu secured the board and put an immediate second shot up, all while falling forward from her knees.
The shot went in.
FROM THE FLOOR?!? SAB ARE YOU KIDDING ME???@sabrina_i20 IS DIFFERENT 😭 pic.twitter.com/YAK1Spumv7
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 31, 2024
After the game ended (which the Liberty won 98-85, improving their WNBA-best record to 27-6), Ionescu replied to the Liberty's X video of her shot by saying, "If you can shoot you can shoot," with two laughing-crying emojis.
If you can shoot you can shoot 🤣🤣 https://t.co/tCa4pSntDX
— Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i20) August 31, 2024
Ionescu — who's in the midst of the best season of her WNBA career — finished the contest with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in 33 minutes played.
When Winsidr's Myles Ehrlich asked Ionescu about ground shot postgame, she said, "It was the most open I’ve been all night, so I decided to go for it. To be honest, I didn’t realize I was on the ground. I saw the basket and it looked good.
"I’ll take it," Ionescu added. "Shooters shoot."
While much of the women's basketball community's attention has been focused on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese this season, Ionescu has been busy blossoming into one of the league's most elite, well-rounded guards.
While the deep three-pointer she made for Team USA at the Paris Olympics is probably her most iconic shot (if only due toher ensuing celebration), the grounded one from Friday may be her most memorable.
GRANT YOUNG
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.