If — when — she's taken with the No. 1 pick in tonight's WNBA draft, Sabrina Ionescu will become the face of a rebuilding project in America's biggest market, a role she's uniquely suited to play.
The player: Ionescu finished her Oregon career with 26 triple-doubles, more than twice as many as anyone else, male or female. She's the only player in NCAA history to accumulate 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds.
- The team: The New York Liberty are expected to take Ionescu first overall, and after trading away All-Star Tina Charles on Wednesday, they own five of the top 15 picks in the draft. The roster is primed for a rebuild and Sabrina will be handed the keys.
- The venue: Nets owner Joe Tsai bought the Liberty from James Dolan in 2019, and is moving the team — which just got a fresh rebrand — from a small arena in White Plains, New York, to Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
The big picture: Ionescu redefined women's college basketball and will enter the WNBA with as large a profile as any player in recent memory.
- The Ionescu-led Ducks outdrew Oregon's nationally-ranked men's team in home attendance, and her achievements were frequently amplified by NBA admirers like Steph Curry and Kobe Bryant, who she grew close with before he died.
- Tonight, with the WNBA draft airing on ESPN's main network for the fist time, Ionescu will be the star of the show — and it's hard to imagine a better landing spot. The stage is set.
What to watch: The draft will be held virtually, and ESPN has sent players lighting kits and tripods so they can be interviewed following their selections.
Top 10 prospects:
- Sabrina Ionescu, PG, Oregon
- Satou Sabally, SF, Oregon
- Lauren Cox, PF, Baylor
- Chennedy Carter, SG, Texas A&M
- Bella Alarie, SF, Princeton
- Tyasha Harris, PG, South Carolina
- Megan Walker, SF, UConn
- Ruthy Hebard, PF, Oregon
- Crystal Dangerfield, PG, UConn
- Beatrice Mompremier, PF, Miami
Go deeper: Coronavirus causes delay in WNBA season and training camps
