The WNBA often doesn’t get the attention that it maybe deserves, considering how many iconic moments occur during their games. LeBron James recently appreciated an epic move by Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Saturday night saw some more magic, with New York Liberty point guard Sabrina Ionescu pulling off an iconic game-winning move.
The Liberty was playing against the Chicago Sky and found themselves down 2 with 19 seconds left on the clock. Ionescu went into her bag, though, and produced an and-1 finish to give her team the victory in the clutch. And while the moment itself was quite special, what she did immediately after winning the game melted the hearts of many basketball fans.
Sabrina Ionescu immediately ran over to Vanessa Bryant and her daughters, who were in attendance, and hugged them after winning the game. The family of the legendary NBA superstar Kobe Bryant is often shown love and appreciation across basketball arenas, but even beyond that, Ionescu shares quite a bond with them.
Sabrina received advice from the Mamba when she was younger, and he had gone to watch a game she was playing along with his daughter Gigi. Kobe and Gianna Bryant passed away in 2020 in what was one of the most tragic events the basketball community has ever experienced. Ionescu has since stayed close with Vanessa and their other daughters, all of whom were present at the event.
Gigi Bryant was widely expected by many to make it to the WNBA and become one of the greatest to do it; such was the level of her dedication to basketball under her father Kobe’s guidance. Even though fans of the game will never get to see it happen, Kobe’s family will always have the respect and love of fans across the NBA and the WNBA.
