As women's basketball continues to grow in popularity, several players have turned that popularity into lucrative endorsement and shoe deals. One such player is New York Liberty guard, Sabrina Ionescu.
She has become a popular main stay in the league since her WNBA rookie season in 2020 and her Nike shoe deal has become a favorite since it debuted in 2023. According to soleretriever.com, her Nike Sabrina 2 is the second-most worn sneaker in all of the NBA. Which means the shoe and her appeal crosses over with men and women.
It is the kind of branding win that the WNBA continues to search for as it markets itself to a wider audience. Now, this July, Nike will be releasing the Sabrina 3, and it may be once again a bestseller for both men and women.
The shoe has a simple design but is durable and has been worn by several high-profile individuals, including Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, who was just announced as the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. Amen Thompson, Tyler Herro, Derrick White, Grayson Allen, De'Andre Hunter, Anfernee Simons and Jaden McDaniels have all been seen regularly wearing Sabrina 2s this season.
During the offseason, Ionescu has been busy building up her brand and that of the league as a whole. This includes playing in the newly formed 3x3 winter league, Unrivaled.
Sabrina Ionescu has been promoting her shoes overseas
Ionescu visited both the Philippines and China during the tour to promote both the WNBA and women's basketball as a brand, this includes promoting her signature shoe.
With an Asia tour, she joined other Nike athletes who have done the same thing in the past, including both Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. Her ability to draw in an international audience with her shoe and her skills is a testament to the growing women's game.
Ionescu spoke to Complex while on the tour about her shoe and the cross-gender appeal of the brand.
"That was the goal that we had in mind when we created the first unisex shoe, is the ability to have my Sabrina shoe take on any court, male, female, young girls and young boys, and be able to change the landscape of sport and understand that it wasn't a woman's basketball shoe, it was just a basketball shoe."
The popularity of the shoe, bodes well for other WNBA stars, who have yet to release their own signature shoes. Caitlin Clark is set to soon release her own shoe through Nike. Cameron Brink has recently released shoes and sneakers through New Balance.