‘Salamat Sabrina’ banner for WNBA Champion Sabrina Ionescu during the 2025 Sabrina in Manila Tour: Craft the Future Showcase at the Araneta Coliseum, March 11, 2025, in Cubao, Quezon City. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.MANILA — Sabrina Ionescu is hoping to leave a mark on the future generation of basketball stars of the Philippines.
After making it rain from beyond the arc in front of a packed crowd at the Araneta Coliseum in an exhibition game, the New York Liberty superstar expressed her gratitude and message for the Filipinos and Filipinas who witnessed her prowess.
”Salamat, Manila,” said Ionescu after the Team Puso vs. Team Laban faceoff at the Big Dome on Tuesday as a part of the 2025 Sabrina in Manila: Craft the Future Showcase.
“I just want to say thank you. Obviously, the goal and the legacy that I want to leave the game better than I found it, continuing to grow the game of basketball.”
“Being able to show up here in the Philippines and do just that, I want to say thank you to all the young guys and young girls, continue to dream big,” she added.
Ionescu is the first Nike athlete to visit the Philippines after the COVID-19 Pandemic. She arrived on Sunday night and held a series of panels and clinics on Monday, and unveiled the TITAN x Sabrina 2 signature shoe collaboration, early Tuesday.
WNBA Champion Sabrina Ionescu during the 2025 Sabrina in Manila Tour: Craft the Future Showcase at the Araneta Coliseum, March 11, 2025, in Cubao, Quezon City. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.Ionescu then joined the LA Tenorio-captained Team Puso and Paul Lee-led Team Laban exhibition in the evening, with the 2024 NBA Champion draining basket after basket for both teams.
As a result of Tenorio draining five triples to Lee’s four in the pregame shootout to decide which Squad Ionescu would play for in the two halves of the contest, she went on to suit up for Team Laban in the first half and ended the game with Team Puso in the last set.
However, despite Lee, Jhaz Joson, Dave Ildefonso, and the rest of Team Laban having Ionescu in their roster in the first half, Tenorio, Camille Clarin, Marcio Lassiter, and the rest of Team Puso still led by double digits at halftime.
Not only did Team Puso eventually have Ionescu on their squad — with the New York Liberty superstar even draining shots from three and four-point country — but they also went on to increase their lead to as huge as 20 in the last 15 minutes of the contest to formalize the victory, 79-69.
Aside from this, Sabrina also engaged in a three-point shootout with Marcio Lassiter, Janine Pontejos, Luisa San Juan, and Khate Castillo.
The sharpshooting Ionescu was the obvious favorite, but it was Gilas Pilipinas sniper Castillo who ruled the contest with 19 points.
San Juan scored nine, Lassiter had 13, while both Pontejos and Sabrina finished with 16.
Ionescu will conclude her Manila tour tomorrow with a visit to the Girls Got Game court in Santa Maria, Bulacan.
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