Photo by: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Three Ducks Taken In Top Eight
04/17/20 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally went 1-2 in Friday's WNBA draft, and Ruthy Hebard was taken with the No. 8 pick.
The Big Three became the first three when it comes to first-round WNBA draft picks from Oregon.
Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally were selected with the first two picks in Friday's draft, and Ruthy Hebard went eighth. Coming into the night, four Ducks had been drafted into the WNBA, but Ionescu, Sabally and Hebard became the first three UO women's basketball players taken in the first round.
Ionescu and Sabally became the fourth pair of teammates taken with the top two picks of the WNBA draft. They and Hebard became the seventh trio of players from the same team all selected in the first 10 picks of the same draft.
"It just goes to show what kind of environment we had at Oregon," Sabally said shortly after being drafted.
Ionescu was the No. 1 overall pick, by the New York Liberty. Sabally was selected second by the Dallas Wings, and Hebard was taken eighth by the Chicago Sky. Prior to the draft, there was speculation Hebard might also be selected by the Liberty, with the No. 9 pick, but the Sky scooped her up and will team Hebard with point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who played for UO coach Kelly Graves at Gonzaga.
Ionescu also announced Friday that she signed an endorsement deal with Nike.
"I'm looking to do everything I possibly can to get better in every aspect, whether that's scoring, defending, rebounding, passing," Ionescu said. "Really excited to be playing against professionals and learning from them, and seeing where that takes me."
Ionescu, the unanimous national player of the year in 2019-20, joins a rebuilding Liberty team. Her selection by New York brings the most prominent up-and-coming player in the game to the biggest media market in the world.
"I don't feel any pressure," Ionescu said. "I'm just excited to continue to learn. There's going to be ups and downs, but I'm excited to take that head-on and continue to grow my game."
Sabally, who won the Cheryl Miller Award as the nation's top small forward in 2019-20, watched Friday's draft in Eugene alongside her sister Nyarra and joined via video conferencing with the rest of her family back home in her native Germany. In heading to Dallas, she follows in the footsteps of her countryman Dirk Nowitzki, the former Dallas Mavericks legend.
Sabally joked that she's going to need to "get that Dirk fadeaway shot" before she gets to Dallas.
"It means a lot," Sabally said of being selected second overall. "It means a lot to me, my family and the Oregon community. It means so much to the German community. I'm just so happy and I can't wait to get to Dallas."
The players drafted Friday are in a holding pattern due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The regular season was scheduled to start May 15, but training camps and the regular season have been delayed indefinitely.
"I'm not going to think about that yet," Sabally said. "I'm going to celebrate with my family and friends, stay in shape, work hard and wait for coach (Brian) Agler's call."
Sabally was on a teleconference with national media when Hebard was selected by the Sky. Hebard, the national power forward of the year for 2019-20, will enter the WNBA playing in the city where she was born, before moving soon after to Alaska.
"I already got a text from (Vandersloot)," Hebard said Friday evening. "So I'm really excited Chicago picked me and I can't wait to work with my new teammates."
Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally were selected with the first two picks in Friday's draft, and Ruthy Hebard went eighth. Coming into the night, four Ducks had been drafted into the WNBA, but Ionescu, Sabally and Hebard became the first three UO women's basketball players taken in the first round.
Ionescu and Sabally became the fourth pair of teammates taken with the top two picks of the WNBA draft. They and Hebard became the seventh trio of players from the same team all selected in the first 10 picks of the same draft.
"It just goes to show what kind of environment we had at Oregon," Sabally said shortly after being drafted.
Ionescu was the No. 1 overall pick, by the New York Liberty. Sabally was selected second by the Dallas Wings, and Hebard was taken eighth by the Chicago Sky. Prior to the draft, there was speculation Hebard might also be selected by the Liberty, with the No. 9 pick, but the Sky scooped her up and will team Hebard with point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who played for UO coach Kelly Graves at Gonzaga.
Ionescu also announced Friday that she signed an endorsement deal with Nike.
"I'm looking to do everything I possibly can to get better in every aspect, whether that's scoring, defending, rebounding, passing," Ionescu said. "Really excited to be playing against professionals and learning from them, and seeing where that takes me."
Ionescu, the unanimous national player of the year in 2019-20, joins a rebuilding Liberty team. Her selection by New York brings the most prominent up-and-coming player in the game to the biggest media market in the world.
"I don't feel any pressure," Ionescu said. "I'm just excited to continue to learn. There's going to be ups and downs, but I'm excited to take that head-on and continue to grow my game."
Sabally, who won the Cheryl Miller Award as the nation's top small forward in 2019-20, watched Friday's draft in Eugene alongside her sister Nyarra and joined via video conferencing with the rest of her family back home in her native Germany. In heading to Dallas, she follows in the footsteps of her countryman Dirk Nowitzki, the former Dallas Mavericks legend.
Sabally joked that she's going to need to "get that Dirk fadeaway shot" before she gets to Dallas.
"It means a lot," Sabally said of being selected second overall. "It means a lot to me, my family and the Oregon community. It means so much to the German community. I'm just so happy and I can't wait to get to Dallas."
The players drafted Friday are in a holding pattern due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The regular season was scheduled to start May 15, but training camps and the regular season have been delayed indefinitely.
"I'm not going to think about that yet," Sabally said. "I'm going to celebrate with my family and friends, stay in shape, work hard and wait for coach (Brian) Agler's call."
Sabally was on a teleconference with national media when Hebard was selected by the Sky. Hebard, the national power forward of the year for 2019-20, will enter the WNBA playing in the city where she was born, before moving soon after to Alaska.
"I already got a text from (Vandersloot)," Hebard said Friday evening. "So I'm really excited Chicago picked me and I can't wait to work with my new teammates."
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballKelly Graves | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Deja Kelly, Peyton Scott & Phillipina Kyei | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Peyton Scott & Ari Long: "A good, competitive basketball game."
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Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
