After the success of Sabrina Ionescu’s first signature shoe, Nike is gearing up for her next collection. The shoewear giant officially announced the launch of the Sabrina 2 Saturday, which will drop June 28.
Ionescu and Nike debuted the Sabrina 1 last year after the two sides joined forces. The former Oregon star became the first women’s basketball player to debut a unisex shoe with Nike, and it quickly took over the basketball world. In fact, when Caitlin Clark and Iowa were gearing up for the national championship this past season, Ionescu gave them as gifts to each of the Hawkeyes players.
Ahead of Saturday’s game against Clark and the Indiana Fever, Ionescu debuted the shoes on her way in to Barclays Center.
Ionescu has developed one of the most recognizable brands in the WNBA since arriving in New York as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. A two-time All-Star, she also participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend three-point shootout against Stephen Curry, and reports indicate that will continue with perhaps other sharpshooters joining the competition.
Her agreement with Nike is also part of her growing profile, and the plan from the beginning was to be one of the faces of the company’s basketball line.
“Ionescu is the first women’s basketball player to deliver a unisex signature collection with NIKE, Inc.,” said Kerry Sobol, Nike’s vice president of global women’s team and organized sports, last year. “We are thrilled she will lead the charge with us and continue to change the scope of the game for future generations.”
Nike continues to grow WNBA roster of athletes
Ionescu’s success is part of Nike’s ventures with the WNBA, and that is sure to continue after two high-profile additions over the last month.
In April, after the Fever selected her No. 1 overall, news broke of Clark’s lucrative deal with Nike. The eight-year agreement is worth $28 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, and she has her first signature shoe debuting next year.
Clark was one of the first college athletes to sign an NIL deal with Nike during her time at Iowa, and as she gets her professional career started, that partnership is continuing in a big way.
After Nike announced Clark’s shoe, fans wondered when Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson would get her own collection. That news became official last week when the two sides revealed the A’One would be coming in 2025.
Nike also poked some fun at fans clamoring for Wilson to get her own shoe line, wondering if they’d really think it would “sleep” on one of the top players in the game. As it turns out, the deal was a year in the making.
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