Sabrina Ionescu in joining the Oregon women’s basketball support staff in a part-time capacity as the director of athletic culture, the school announced Friday.
Ionescu, who recently completed her third season with the New York Liberty, will help with “the development of student-athletes and cultivate (Oregon coach Kelly) Graves’ five pillars of Oregon women’s basketball: passion, integrity, unity, thankfulness and servanthood,” according to a school release.
“As a kid growing up in the game, my family helped me develop my passion for basketball and all the values it rewards,“ Ionescu said in a statement. “When I arrived at Oregon, I joined a new family that embraced those same values and helped me grow even more as a player and as a person. Part of my heart remains in Eugene, and I look forward to cultivating the same family atmosphere for future Ducks in the Oregon women’s basketball program.”
It’s not immediately clear how often Ionescu will be physically present in her role with the program or what compensation she’ll be receiving in the position. She’s also serving as Chief Athlete Officer for Division Street, Oregon’s most prominent collective.
A two-time Wade and Wooden Trophy winner, Ionescu is the all-time NCAA leader in career triple-doubles (26) and the only player in NCAA history with 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists.
“There is no better person I could think of for this position than Sabrina,” Graves said in a statement. “Sabrina exemplifies what it means to be an Oregon Duck and she represents everything our program is about. Even in just a part-time capacity, she will have the ability to make an immediate impact on our student-athletes and our program as a whole. She truly is a basketball icon that will be able to connect and develop our players off the court.”
