Brooke Van Sickle has been rocking the Nike Sabrina 1s on the court for good, personal reasons.
Brooke Van Sickle has been nothing short of impressive for Petro Gazz Angels in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
Ever since she arrived in the country, the Filipina-American stalwart has served as the engine for the high-octane offense of the Angels, who captured the PNVF Champions League title under her watch.
Throughout her stellar showing as of late, Van Sickle has been rocking the Nike Sabrina 1s on the court.
The 25-year-old outside hitter did not just wear the renowned signature shoes for their comfort and performance, but also because she is an acquaintance of Sabrina Ionescu herself.
"We’re not like best friends, we’re maybe really good acquaintances," Van Sickle shared.
Van Sickle and Ionescu, who plays for the New York Liberty in the WNBA, are alumnae of University of Oregon, where they even became classmates.
"My freshman year of college, I went to University of Oregon, right? (It was) 2016, I believe. Yeah, one of my fellow classmates was Sabrina Ionescu and just seeing how she grew as a player, you know, throughout college was something super awesome to watch," Van Sickle bared.
Van Sickle only played a year for the Ducks, seeing action in both indoor and beach volleyball competitions.
Despite a short stint with Oregon, Van Sickle relishes her connection with Ionescu, an NCAA legend and now rising WNBA star.
"It was just really cool to be able to meet an athlete like that, that’s like super successful. She’s getting what she deserves, right? She’s extremely humble like when the cameras are off and behind the scenes and you just talk to her, such a great person," she said.
"It was really cool to be able to meet her and go to school with her so it was an awesome experience."
Ionescu has incredible success in the pro circuit. She even figured in a three-point shootout with Steph Curry in the recently-concluded NBA All-Star Weekend.
Despite Ionescu's ascent to stardom, Van Sickle believes the WNBA superstar remains as grounded as ever.
"Just how she would carry herself off the court, on the court. She’s the most humble person I’ve ever met. She is a true leader, she works consistently hard, even when we were in the classroom, in training, in everything she does," she said.