Sabrina Ionescu latest WNBA star to benefit from brilliant scheduling trend

The New York Liberty will play a preseason game at the University of Oregon, meaning former Oregon Ducks Sabrina Ionescu and Nyara Sabally will get a chance to once again compete in Eugene. The Liberty will face off against the Toyota Antelopes of the Women’s Japan Basketball League in the exhibition on May 12th at 10pm ET.

“I can’t wait to get back on the court in Eugene with the New York Liberty at Matthew Knight Arena,” Ionescu said in a statement. “I’ve got some great things in store throughout the weekend for my teammates: past and present, Oregon Women’s Basketball fans, the Eugene community and the SI20 Foundation.”

Ionescu enjoyed a storied career at Oregon that was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the NCAA’s all-time triple-doubles leader, and is Oregon’s all-time leader in points, assists, and three-point shots. Sabally, meanwhile, received All-PAC-12 honors twice, averaging 15.4 points and 7.8 rebounds in her final collegiate season.

Both players were major contributors in the Liberty’s 2024 title run, with Ionescu hitting one of the biggest shots in basketball history in Game 3, and Sabally serving as a critical spark off the bench in Game 5.

“As a player-first organization, we strive to be as collaborative and innovative with our athletes as possible,” said Jonathan Kolb, the Liberty’s general manager. “Bringing New York Liberty basketball to Eugene with two program greats, Sabrina and Nyara, was a natural next step coming off our franchise’s first championship. We would like to thank the University of Oregon Athletic Department and Toyota Antelopes for their partnership in bringing this vision to life.”

Last Spring, the Las Vegas Aces played a preseason game at the University of South Carolina, in celebration of former Gamecock and three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.

This spring, several games have already been scheduled bringing WNBA teams to college campuses. Notably, on May 4th, the Indiana Fever are playing a preseason game at the University of Iowa, Caitlin Clark’s alma mater. That game will be held against the Brazilian National Team; Fever forward Damiris Dantas is a Brazilian native and played on the national team for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Similarly, the Chicago Sky will play the Brazilian National team at LSU on May 2; LSU is Angel Reese’s alma mater, while Kamilla Cardoso is a Brazilian native.

These exhibition games are helping bridge the gap between college hoops and the pros. They’ll also allow college fans to see some of their all-time greats compete in person again.

The Aces’ South Carolina game seems to have helped establish a new precedent for other WNBA teams to follow as they schedule future exhibition play — and luckily for fans at Oregon, Iowa, and LSU, some of their teams’ all-time greats will be making the highly-anticipated trip this Spring.