Photo by: NBAE via Getty Images
#ProDucks Ready For WNBA Debuts
07/23/20 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally and Ruthy Hebard will take the court as professionals for the first time this weekend.
Kelly Graves admits there are some ways in which he's still a bit old-school.
For instance, the UO women's basketball coach has a fancy smart phone, just like anyone else. But he also still carries around a leather-bound calendar, in which he keeps track of appointments by hand.
Earlier this month, that appointment book got a whole bunch of new entries. When the WNBA announced its schedule for the regular season that begins Saturday, Graves had three teams' worth of games to mark in his calendar — Sabrina Ionescu's New York Liberty, Satou Sabally's Dallas Wings and Ruthy Hebard's Chicago Sky.
"I know what I'm going to be doing on those game nights," Graves said.
The WNBA regular season may have been reduced to 22 games per team due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there's no shortage of excitement from Oregon fans wanting to watch the program's newest members of the professional ranks. Ionescu, Sabally and Hebard were all top-10 draft picks this spring, after leading the Ducks to the Final Four last year, and now they're set to make their WNBA debuts this weekend.
Ionescu's Liberty will face the preseason league favorite, the Seattle Storm, in the opening game of the season Saturday morning (9 a.m. PT, ESPN). Hebard and the Sky will meet the Las Vegas Aces in their first game Sunday (noon PT, ABC), and Sabally's Wings play at the Atlanta Dream later Sunday (2 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network).
"I can't wait," Graves said. "It's pretty neat that we're going to be able to watch three of our own."
All 12 WNBA teams are living and training at the campus of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Games will be held there as well, without fans in attendance, due to the pandemic.
There will be several chances to watch the three UO basketball alums go head-to-head this season. The first is next Wednesday, when Ionescu and Sabally meet in a game between the Liberty and Wings at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
"That's gonna be a dream come true for me as a coach," Graves said. "It's pretty neat. That's pretty special."
Graves has been in touch with all three of his former players as they lived and trained in the "bubble," of IMG Academy, affectionately referred to as the "wubble" around the league. For some veterans of the league, this abbreviated season might seem awkward, but for the rookies from Oregon anticipating their debuts, it's nothing but exciting.
As the No. 1 pick in the draft, Ionescu has a bright future in the league. But the Liberty are in rebuilding mode, and face a stiff challenge Saturday from Seattle, which features the likes of Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird.
"She knows the challenge that's ahead of her," Graves said. "She loves her team, she loves her coaches — and you knew she would.But she realizes they have a real uphill battle. But if anyone could lead her team in those circumstances, it's Sabrina."
Graves said Ionescu has compared her upcoming rookie season with the Liberty to her freshman year at Oregon, when the Ducks were picked seventh in the Pac-12 preseason poll of coaches but advanced all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Hebard also was a freshman that season, but unlike Ionescu she's with a team that's considered to have postseason potential this season.
Guard Courtney Vandersloot of the Sky played for Graves at Gonzaga, and the two of them have been in touch about Hebard's progress.
"She said Ruthy has really picked things up," Graves said. "They were actually surprised; they think she's better than they thought. There were a lot of eyes opened. I think they're going to be pleasantly surprised."
For fans of Oregon women's basketball, watching Hebard, Ionescu and Sabally make their WNBA debuts this weekend is appointment viewing — whether you're marking your calendar virtually, or like Graves in his "old-school" leather-bound book.
For instance, the UO women's basketball coach has a fancy smart phone, just like anyone else. But he also still carries around a leather-bound calendar, in which he keeps track of appointments by hand.
Earlier this month, that appointment book got a whole bunch of new entries. When the WNBA announced its schedule for the regular season that begins Saturday, Graves had three teams' worth of games to mark in his calendar — Sabrina Ionescu's New York Liberty, Satou Sabally's Dallas Wings and Ruthy Hebard's Chicago Sky.
"I know what I'm going to be doing on those game nights," Graves said.
The WNBA regular season may have been reduced to 22 games per team due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there's no shortage of excitement from Oregon fans wanting to watch the program's newest members of the professional ranks. Ionescu, Sabally and Hebard were all top-10 draft picks this spring, after leading the Ducks to the Final Four last year, and now they're set to make their WNBA debuts this weekend.
Ionescu's Liberty will face the preseason league favorite, the Seattle Storm, in the opening game of the season Saturday morning (9 a.m. PT, ESPN). Hebard and the Sky will meet the Las Vegas Aces in their first game Sunday (noon PT, ABC), and Sabally's Wings play at the Atlanta Dream later Sunday (2 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network).
"I can't wait," Graves said. "It's pretty neat that we're going to be able to watch three of our own."
All 12 WNBA teams are living and training at the campus of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Games will be held there as well, without fans in attendance, due to the pandemic.
There will be several chances to watch the three UO basketball alums go head-to-head this season. The first is next Wednesday, when Ionescu and Sabally meet in a game between the Liberty and Wings at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
"That's gonna be a dream come true for me as a coach," Graves said. "It's pretty neat. That's pretty special."
Graves has been in touch with all three of his former players as they lived and trained in the "bubble," of IMG Academy, affectionately referred to as the "wubble" around the league. For some veterans of the league, this abbreviated season might seem awkward, but for the rookies from Oregon anticipating their debuts, it's nothing but exciting.
As the No. 1 pick in the draft, Ionescu has a bright future in the league. But the Liberty are in rebuilding mode, and face a stiff challenge Saturday from Seattle, which features the likes of Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird.
"She knows the challenge that's ahead of her," Graves said. "She loves her team, she loves her coaches — and you knew she would.But she realizes they have a real uphill battle. But if anyone could lead her team in those circumstances, it's Sabrina."
Graves said Ionescu has compared her upcoming rookie season with the Liberty to her freshman year at Oregon, when the Ducks were picked seventh in the Pac-12 preseason poll of coaches but advanced all the way to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Hebard also was a freshman that season, but unlike Ionescu she's with a team that's considered to have postseason potential this season.
Guard Courtney Vandersloot of the Sky played for Graves at Gonzaga, and the two of them have been in touch about Hebard's progress.
"She said Ruthy has really picked things up," Graves said. "They were actually surprised; they think she's better than they thought. There were a lot of eyes opened. I think they're going to be pleasantly surprised."
For fans of Oregon women's basketball, watching Hebard, Ionescu and Sabally make their WNBA debuts this weekend is appointment viewing — whether you're marking your calendar virtually, or like Graves in his "old-school" leather-bound book.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ 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."
Thursday, February 27
Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
