She’s the greatest college basketball player of all time.
Right?
I mean, we’ve always had this inconclusive debate in the basketball world about how greatness should, or could be measured. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is rarely ever considered the greatest of all time from an NBA standpoint, even though he has the all-time scoring record and some substantial rings on his finger.
Why exactly is that?
Is it transcendence? Stylistic appeal? The separate generations that were played in?
Micheal Jordan’s pure athletic dominance from a shooting guard’s position was something we had never really witnessed before. Lebron James’ style of point-forward combined with his physical profile falls under the same moniker; a once-in-a-generation talent.
Sabrina Ionescu recently accomplished something that no one else in NCAA history has ever done. Which is put up 2000+ points, 1000+ assists, and 1000+ rebounds in a college career.
College basketball has never seen a player like Sabrina. I don’t know if we’ve seen anything like her in the game of basketball, period.
Are there players who have scored more than her in NCAA history? Yes.
Are there players who have more assists in NCAA history? You bet.
Are there players with more rebounds? She’s 5’11, I would like to think so.
There are players who have outscored, out-assisted, and out-rebounded Micheal Jordan/Lebron James or anyone else in the NBA “GOAT” conversation.
Greatness is quantified by championship wins though? Yes and no.
College basketball’s historical stat leaders come from smaller programs or situational talent for the vast majority. Sabrina is winning games with the Oregon Ducks on a massive stage. Many of our statistical leaders in the NCAA haven’t come close to having the team success she has experienced.
So what quantifies greatness in the NCAA then? I’d like to fall back on this tagline; once-in-a-generation talent.
Let me make an argument by performing as an introspective lawyer for Sabrina, because so many folks love presenting excess excuses for why women are succeeding in sports. She’s not a generational women’s basketball talent, she’s a generational talent in basketball regardless.
So here are some hypotheticals presented and rationalized on Sabrina Ionescu’s once-in-a-lifetime career, but also the problems we face in measuring this. Court is now in session.
Ok so what are her actual career stats?
Per 40 minutes, she's averaging a triple-double in 2 of these seasons. These are clearly some elite stats, my general amazement comes from actually watching her work though. I've never seen someone put up these stats with just pure basketball IQ being one of the more dominating traits in her game.
She has 26 triple-doubles in her career, a record that no one else is really close to.
Triple-doubles are worn out in the NBA because of stat-padders and the extra 8 minutes they have of game time. If you just watch NBA basketball, then this number probably doesn’t raise your eyebrows.
College basketball doesn’t experience triple-doubles nearly on the same level. Point-forwards rarely exist in college and the pace of play is also quite a bit slower.
So how come our 5’11 point guard can do this shit blindfolded with a cigarette in her mouth. I’m convinced every other child was busy learning how to ride their bike while Sabrina was screaming “Y’ALL AIN’T READY FOR PRIMETIME” at full grown men in a pickup game.
How is she such a good rebounder for a point guard?
Honestly, instincts and just pure desire.
I searched high and low for a rebounding montage, but every highlight package of her pretty much is one. She’s super familiar with how the ball comes off the rim. If there’s a wing 3 point shot, she knows to get to the weak side wedge (far side of the rim). She often runs to the middle of the key when her post players set up inside for rebounds, this allows her to collect any ball that caroms off the rim out towards the free throw line.
My dad always called this “having a nose for the ball”, she puts herself in the right spots 100% of the time.
She also stated in an interview that her rebounding instincts come from always playing with dudes growing up, who wouldn’t pass her the ball. So if she wanted to get any touches on the ball or even get to shoot it, she’d have to fight for boards.
A masterclass in hooping with jabroni’s who don’t pass.
How is she as a point guard?
One of the smartest players I’ve ever seen.
The basketball IQ she possesses is really the engine behind her overall stellar play. She’s not overly quick, she’s not overly athletic, she’s just smarter than you. Her triple-doubles are the polar opposite of Russell Westbrook triple doubles, she controls the tempo and pace instead of frantically breaking through it.
(Nothing wrong with how Russ does it lol)
She simply reads the defence and makes the correct pass. Every. Single. Time.
Nothing flashy, she just gives her team the best possible chance to get a basket on most possessions. It’s hard to find a lot of ball players that read and react as effectively as Sabrina, just watch how she navigates ball screens.
She never forces the issue trying to score, That’s not really her style. She’s about winning really, if she sees opportunities to take over then she will. If she sees opportunities to get open looks for her teammates, she’ll make plays for them. It’s such a simple concept, but the new generation of hoopers don’t do this very well at all.
Oh. She also shoots the ever living shit out of the basketball. Again though, she doesn't force shots, she's currently surrounded by talented shooters this season at Oregon. She just makes it a priority to get the ball where it needs to be, being able to recognize that consistently is elite IQ and winning basketball.
How come I haven’t been hearing about Sabrina?
Well a multitude of reasons. The main point I really want to make is that this isn’t being talked about enough - the whole reason I started a blog.
If you call yourself a serious basketball fan, then you’re aware of Sabrina Ionescu’s pure dominance. If you haven’t heard, the onus is on you.
Women’s basketball is neglected though. Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and other outlets have actually covered Sabrina’s landmark year decently well, but the videos and articles covering her are rarely clicked on.
A majority of “basketball fans” would rather watch Lavar Ball sneeze than read about women’s basketball, which isn’t anyone’s fault but our own. We glorify bullshit entertainment more than we glorify real success.
It’s like when someone calls the 2014 San Antonio Spurs Championship team boring, you just clearly have no concept of what basketball even is.
Is there anything wrong with that? Not at all, your opinions should be a little more carefully placed though.
The NCAA has done a half-ass job promoting Sabrina Ionescu’s once-in-a-lifetime accomplishments, they wouldn’t even tweet something out themselves in a situation of pure collegiate excellence (retweet's don't count NCAA, you crooks).
Maybe Sabrina doesn’t make them enough money? The NCAA plastered Zion over everything for an entire year, I wonder why?
I know why.
PeOpLe DoN't LiKe WaTcHiNg LaY-uP CoNtEsTs.
Everyone who's ever said that is an out-of-shape pear with credit card hops.
Don’t give me the “women’s basketball isn’t entertaining” shtick, that’s literally just saying “I’ve never been a high-level athlete in my life”. You can’t appreciate what you fail to understand.
Other quotes by the same people:
“I eat entire bags of cool ranch Doritos and exclusively watch Lebron Highlights”.
“Sorry for punching that whole in your drywall”.
“I bet I could beat her in 1 on 1”.
Go kick some rocks pal.
Why didn’t she go pro earlier if she’s so great?
WNBA players are going to be paid actual wages for the first time in the 2020 season.
(six figure salaries, still not enough, but better)
Why would you go pro when you can’t even make a living? Staying in college and getting an education becomes more important when you’re going to be oppressed by unfair wages in a professional league. Skyler Diggins-Smith played an entire season pregnant, because she didn’t want to lose out on the bare minimum amount of money she was making...awful.
I get it, the WNBA needs sponsorship, they need people to tune in. There are more than enough reasons to watch, but remember that there’s a serious population of folks who think like this:
These were the least offensive versions of comments on her page.
Sabrina’s collegiate career has been transcendent, it hurts knowing that the lack of support and promotion for women’s sports seems to kill off serious accolades on all levels.
James Harden just fired shots at Giannis in an interview and we’ve already forgotten that Sabrina did something no ones even come close to doing in collegiate basketball 2 days prior.
It’s hard for someone to educate themselves in 2020 if they can’t find proper representation on a social media platform. Which is incredibly sad, but also our reality.
Ok, why should I be a fan of Sabrina?
1. The Oregon women’s basketball team beat the USA women’s National team 93-86 earlier this year on the back of Sabrina’s 33 points / 7 assists. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM, how do you even go about dome-piecing the National team like that and get the unprecedented win - rockstar move.
2. She used to train with Kobe, and was one of the main role models in Gigi Bryant’s life. She gave a speech at Kobe’s memorial, where I bet half the people there didn’t know who she was. She then hopped on a plane, and broke the 1000+ rebound mark the same day against Stanford. This gave her 2000+ points, 1000+ assists, and 1000+ rebounds on the date 2/24. The mamba lives on.
3. She seems surprised with herself the majority of the time. Like we all know someone who plays exceptionally well in games but can’t remember any details from that game they popped off in. To me, this shows amazing levels of humility and focus. You’re just concerned about playing hard every second you’re on the floor, you don’t think about stats. Sabrina’s focus has always been winning, which is crazy for someone who racks up triple-doubles consistently.
4. She's a reason for you to watch WNBA basketball in the summer. You shouldn't need a reason, but I understand if you're really committing yourself to being basketball fan, having someone to root for helps.
So is Sabrina the NCAA GOAT? I think we come back to this one after March is over.
Oregon is about to embark on another NCAA tournament run as a #1 seed, a ring could solidify her unfathomable run. Either way, I’m stoked for her WNBA career and the legacy she’s going to leave.
It just hurts knowing she may never get her due, just like so many women’s basketball stars from the past.
That’s what this is really about though, acknowledgement and support. Kobe’s tragic passing brought out his amazing “Girl-dad” philosophy that should have impacted basketball way before his death. The WNBA just lost one of it’s biggest advocates right as his star pupil is hitting the stratosphere. If anyone embodies Kobe Bryant’s spirit and mentality, it’s Sabrina Ionescu.
Appreciate greatness on all levels, one of the best basketball players to ever live did.
So why shouldn’t you?
Be present for the takeover.
Be a basketball fan.
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