Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu has Bay Area high school gym named after her

If there was any doubt about Sabrina Ionescu’s status as a living legend, well, the Bay Area native and Liberty star is already having things named in her honor.

The gymnasium at Miramonte High School in Orinda will henceforth be named after the East Bay school’s most famous alum.

Ionescu graduated from Miramonte in 2016 and now will have her name adorn the court where she began her path to becoming one of women’s basketball’s biggest stars.

“She is not a retired legend being honored in hindsight; she is a living, breathing, active athlete in the prime of her career, shaping the sports world in real time,” Kelly Sopak, Ionescu’s longtime high school and club coach, said in a news release. “That makes this moment even more extraordinary.”

The move was proposed in a petition that garnered 571 signatures and was approved by the school district’s governing board in a unanimous vote. The proposal cited the district’s facility-naming guidelines, noting Ionescu as somebody who has made “contributions of state, national or global significance.”

Superintendent Dr. John Nickerson said Ionescu was deserving of the honor as “not only one of the greatest athletes to come out of Miramonte, but also one of the greatest athletes of her generation and a role model whose courage, work ethic, and leadership can inspire our students and community every day.”

He added, “she competes with heart, elevates others, and pursues excellence with determination, attributes we hope all Miramonte students will develop.”

Ionescu, 28, has been named to the WNBA All-Star team the past four seasons and won the 2024 championship with the Liberty. In 2023, the former Oregon Duck became the first women’s player to launch a unisex signature shoe with Nike.

Before all that, the Walnut Creek native was one of the most transcendent players the Bay Area prep hoops circuit has ever seen.

Ionescu was named Ms. Basketball for all of California in 2016, earned an invite to the McDonald’s All-American Game, where she was the MVP, and later, was named the Bay Area News Group’s high school player of the decade.

Miramonte went 119-9 over Ionescu’s four years while she shattered school records for points (2,606), assists (769), steals (549) and triple-doubles (21).

“Sabrina was not only well-respected, but also widely admired by her peers, teachers, and coaches,” Lauren Sopak, Ionescu’s high school teammate and friend, said in a statement. “Her leadership qualities, coupled with her unparalleled work ethic, made her a role model for boys and girls of all ages.”

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