Sabrina Ionescu Quieted Crowd to Punctuate Team USA's Win Over Belgium
The crowd in France was not exactly supportive of Team USA. Which is one reason New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu told them to quiet down at the end of a win over Belgium. Ionescu clearly realized that point differential counts in Olympics competition and sunk a three in the waning seconds, despite the game already being decided. She then decided to let the fans know that opposing the U.S. squad could prove futile. It was their 57th consecutive win in Olympic competition after all.
Exhibit A of why the point differential is so awesome…
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) August 1, 2024
The game is clearly out of reach for Belgium, yet you can hear the urgency from team USA’s bench to get a shot up at the end of the game. Sabrina Ionescu pulls the trigger from deep & hits the crowd with the Kobe silencer🤫 pic.twitter.com/UlUcgCSBEl
Sabrina was in the game down the stretch as the lead guard for the USA, who were once again led by Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson. Ionescu's Liberty teammate and the Las Vegas Aces star combined for 49 of the team's 87 points. Sabrina chipped in with 6 points and 5 assists in 19 minutes of action.
Sabrina Ionescu to the crowd 🤫 pic.twitter.com/D51vXoQ9MT
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) August 1, 2024
Ionescu's interaction with the crowd reminded many fans of a moment from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Kobe Bryant, then a member of the men's team, notably made a similar gesture during the gold medal game against Spain. Bryant came up clutch late in the contest, but in that instance the Americans were gaining redemption, not continuing domination.
This photo of Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson is TOO COLD 🔥
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 1, 2024
(📸: Jesse D. Garrabrant) pic.twitter.com/ZUDgDISC6H
The women's team has not lost a game in the Olympics since 1992, having won 7-straight golds. That doesn't mean there hasn't been noise surrounding the roster in Paris however. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark not making the team has been a constant topic of conversation, with a fan of the Japanese team even bringing a sign poking fun of the subject to the contest between USA and Japan. Still, Team USA has been able to block that out to continue winning, with Sabrina adding a shhhhh for good measure.
ROBIN LUNDBERG
Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!