WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, who is back in Manila for the first time since 2018, didn't forget about her fellow Oregon athlete Brooke Van Sickle, who is now making waves in the PVL with the Petro Gazz Angels.
WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Sabrina Ionescu had high praise for Brooke Van Sickle, who is now part of the Petro Gazz Angels in the PVL.
Before making her way to the Philippines via Hawaii, Van Sickle crossed paths with Ionescu at the University of Oregon as freshmen.
Ionescu, who is in the Philippines for a Nike tour, reminisced about coming into Oregon alongside Van Sickle and how their paths intertwined despite playing different sports.
"Yeah, we came in together at Oregon. So it's been, you know, we were able to kind of go through that learning period together," Ionescu shared in a media availability on Tuesday, March 11.
[ALSO READ: Stars like Sabrina Ionescu a beacon of inspiration for younger players, says PBA legend LA Tenorio]
Ionescu shined on the basketball court and Van Sickle thrived in volleyball as the two shared a place in Oregon sports, which helped forge a connection between their teams.
"Obviously, it's just women's sports in general and wanting to push that in any way that you can," the WNBA star said. "Obviously, she played volleyball and I played basketball, but we shared an arena. So, I think that's something that kind of grew us as teams together."
Now, Van Sickle is making her mark in the PVL, already winning an MVP award during the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference.
[ALSO READ: Brooke Van Sickle is living her 'dream' of playing in the Philippines | Off the Record]
Meanwhile, Ionescu is continuing to thrive as one of the brightest stars in the WNBA, recently bagging the WNBA title with the Liberty, before taking part in Team USA's gold medal conquest at the Olympics in Paris.
Hearing about Van Sickle's own rise in the Philippines, Sabrina expressed admiration for her former schoolmate's journey.
"Being able to see how she's done in her career is really inspiring as well," Ionescu said.
During her early days in the PVL, Van Sickle had already spoken about her appreciation for Ionescu, noting how she always carried herself with humility despite her massive success.
The Fil-Hawaiian spiker even regularly wore Ionescu's Nike Sabrina 1s while competing on the taraflex.
"She’s extremely humble. When the cameras are off and behind the scenes, when you just talk to her, she’s such a great person," Van Sickle said. "It was really cool to be able to meet her and go to school with her—it was an awesome experience."
Though they have gone their separate ways, their bond as former Ducks remain, as both continue to make waves in their respective sports.
(With reports from Luisa Morales/One Sports)