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Throughout last summer, New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu set the sneaker world on fire with her first signature basketball shoe. The Nike Sabrina 1 was a revelation thanks to its fresh design and strong performance technology.
For basketball fans, Ionescu's first signature sneaker was not just a shoe, but a canvas for creativity. Nike's 'Nike By You' website allowed online shoppers to have fun by customizing Ionescu's debut hoop shoe in countless colorways.
Now that the 2023-24 fiscal year has ended, the results are in, and they spell success for Ionescu. The Nike Sabrina 1 was the top-selling sneaker on "Nike By You." This news was first reported by Nick DePaula of Boardroom.
Luckily for online shoppers, Ionescu's first and second signature sneaker are now available online. Online shoppers can choose from multiple colorways or design their own Nike Sabrina 1 on the Nike website.
There is no denying the popularity of Ionescu or her signature line. It was one thing to see MLB and NBA players rock her kicks, but the hype got out of hand when someone stole her game-worn shoes from a WNBA locker room.
So far this season, Ionescu is averaging roughly 19 points, six assists, and four rebounds per game. She was a top-ten vote-getter for the WNBA All-Star Game and will play for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Between those two marquee events and the Liberty pushing for a championship, it is guaranteed to be an exciting summer for Ionescu and her signature sneaker line. Meanwhile, there has been no shortage of other exciting sneaker news from around the WNBA.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is waiting to announce her historic signature sneaker deal with Nike. Plus, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is revitalizing Reebok. Additionally, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart continues to elevate Reebok with her signature sneaker line.
Make no mistake, there are plenty of exciting basketball shoes out there now. They just all belong to the women's hoopers. The sneaker community can count on Sports Illustrated for all their footwear news from the sports world and beyond.
More must-reads:
- Jordan Love's thumb surgery comes at inopportune time for Packers
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- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL to ensure that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after some offensive emails that he sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
LeBron James Stunned by Son’s Change in Appearance
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is in peak off-season mode, enjoying his time off while staying ready for his upcoming 23rd season in the NBA, eighth with Los Angeles. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Lakers last season. On a separate note, his youngest son, Bryce James, is preparing for his first collegiate season with the Arizona Wildcats, where he committed early in 2025. Before this new chapter, he spent most of his high school basketball career playing for Sierra Canyon, where he won a State Division 1 title in his senior year. Meanwhile, upon Bryce's first trip back home since leaving for college, James was taken aback by his appearance. In the Lakers star's latest Instagram story, he welcomes home his youngest son after his first stint away at Arizona. Within the video, James is overcome with excitement as he points out Bryce's latest physical change to his 159 million followers: his beard. "Y'all see his beard? Oh my goodness!" said James. Born in 2007, Bryce is just 18 years old and stands 6'6 tall ahead of his first season with the Wildcats. Primarily playing the shooting guard position, he's poised for a bright future under legendary coach Tommy Lloyd, who is entering his fifth season with the team. Lloyd's 61 wins in his first two seasons with Arizona are an NCAA Division 1 record. The Wildcats will open their season on November 3 against the defending champion Florida Gators at a neutral site in Las Vegas, Nevada.
USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley Dealt Another Harsh Ranking Ahead of Season
The common theme for this USC Trojans team has been exclusion, whether it's a Big Ten or top-25 ranking. In a recent ranking of all 136 programs in the FBS, USC was ranked as the No. 29 team in the country. USC Trojans Ranked No. 29 In FBS Rankings USC was placed No. 29 in CBS Sports' ranking, falling right behind SEC's Missouri Tigers. While the Trojans poor 2024 performance could have been ranked even lower, USC's progress in the offseason needs to be accounted for. Here are the teams ranked above the Trojans: 1. Texas Longhorns 2. Penn State Nittany Lions 3. Ohio State Buckeyes 4. Clemson Tigers 5. Georgia Bulldogs 6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 7. Oregon Ducks 8. Alabama Crimson Tide 9. LSU Tigers 10. Miami Hurricanes 11. Arizona State Sun Devils 12. Florida Gators 13. Illinois Fighting Illini 14. Kansas State Wildcats 15. Michigan Wolverines 16. South Carolina Gamecocks 17. SMU Mustangs 18. Texas A M Aggies 19. Iowa State Cyclones 20. Tennessee Volunteers 21. Texas Tech Red Raiders 22. Ole Miss Rebels 23. Indiana Hoosiers 24. Oklahoma Sooners 25. Utah Utes 26. Baylor Bears 27. Louisville Cardinals 28. Missouri Tigers 29. USC Trojans While majority of the teams listed have proven talent and forged a playoff-caliber season, some could argue teams like Utah should not be ranked as high. The Utes finished their 2024 campaign 6-7 with a seven-game lose streak. USC might not have much to argue with their one extra win, however, their scores and opponents speak heavily on the competition difference both programs. The Trojans finished 2024 7-6 and 4-5 in their first Big Ten conference season. No, it's not their best record or most desired results, but the statistics on paper show that USC has the potential to compete, but not enough was done. USC went 1-5 in one-score games, five fourth-quarter mishaps that could have been resolved into wins. A flip from the losses to wins could prove their dominance in the Big Ten and be the USC Trojans they used to be in the past years. The Trojans secured wins over two SEC opponents to start and end the year, USC defeated LSU in a comeback win in the Model Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas for their season opener, and returned to Las Vegas and defeated Texas A M in the Las Vegas Bowl to close out their season. The Trojans Must Capitalize in One-Score Situations College Football analysts have noticed the dire need to capitalize in one-score situations, especially after dropping multiple last season. Joel Klatt believes if the Trojans can find a solution, they could very-well be a first time College Football Playoff competitor. “They’ve got tough games against Oregon on the road. Don’t think that they’re going to win that one. So now you’re just talking about like, can you steal a victory here or there,” Klatt said on an episode of the Joel Klatt Show. “At Notre Dame is going to be difficult. But again, those close losses could turn into close wins this year, and if they do, they could be a team making their very first playoff appearance.” USC's schedule is deemed as favorable, but will face some of their toughest opponents on the road including Notre Dame, Oregon, and a rising favorite in Illinois. After this year's Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas and the start of fall camp, the Trojans and coaching staff have only nodded to their positive progress to their roster. Roster Improvements are Paving a Path for Success Coach Lincoln Riley pointed out quarterback Jayden Maiava's impressive progress that has proved his leadership and readiness to take on the starting quarterback position. “I think he would say he feels like it’s his team,” Riley told the Media after a fall camp practice. “I think he knows the guys better, he knows what he’s doing as a player better....We challenged him as coaches pretty heavily...He's responded." Coinciding with the offensive progress, positive reinforcement has also arrived on defense. The addition of linebackers coach Rob Ryan and defensive analyst Adrian Klemm only bolster the Trojans coaching staff alongside defensive D'Anton Lynn in his second year leading USC' Linebacker Eric Gentry, the leader and veteran of his position group, suffered multiple concusions all last season and saw few snaps. Defensive back Maliki Crawford missed all of last season and defensive end Anthony Lucas was ruled out all season. While USC may not have not displayed top-25 ranked talent last season, college football fans should not count them out this season, especially with their rapid progress made in the offseason.
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