Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu Sneakers Taking Over College Basketball

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu was already a basketball institution long before her signature sneaker ever hit the hardwood. A record-shattering career at Oregon. WNBA Rookie of the Year. A rising WNBA star.

But what’s happened since the launch of the Nike Sabrina line has pushed her influence into a different tier. A 2x three-point shootout winner. A WNBA champion. An Olympic gold medalist. One of the most visible faces in women’s basketball. One that stretches far beyond the WNBA and deep into college basketball.

This past weekend USC guard Jazzy Davidson debuted her Nike Sabrina 3 Player Edition in a custom USC colorway. On the same day, the Nike Sabrina 3 showed up on an NFL field, worn as custom cleats by Justin Herbert. Two stages. Two sports. One signature shoe.

As the Nike Sabrina line continues to rise the ranking among the most worn shoes in the NBA and crossing into sports like football, soccer, and wrestling - its roots in the college game are becoming impossible to ignore.

Oregon: Where It All Started

Before the WNBA, before signature shoes, and before Barclays Center, there was Oregon. Sabrina Ionescu’s bond with the Oregon Ducks remains one of the strongest examples of how her college legacy continues to shape the sport. The university still actively celebrates her impact.

Ionescu paid homage to her alma mater last fall when Nike released the Sabrina 2 “Oregon Duck” PE, a nod to where it all started. The homage continued last month when the Oregon Duck mascot unveiled a “very original” Nike Sabrina 3 dressed in full Ducks colors.

Iowa: Sabrina Gifts the Hawkeyes

Last year, Ionescu made a surprise visit to the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team ahead of their Final Four appearance. Ionescu gifted the entire team pairs of the Nike Sabrina 1, reinforcing a connection between two generations of college greatness.

At the time, Iowa was led by Caitlin Clark, the most electric player in the sport and a torchbearer for women’s college basketball. The symbolism mattered: one NCAA icon acknowledging another program at the peak of its moment.

St. John’s: Sabrina's Influence Meets Campus Culture

Ionescu’s impact at St. John’s University is about cultural presence. Earlier this year, during the outright championship game at Madison Square Garden between St. John’s and Seton Hall, students were interviewed about the most influential athletes in New York City. Among professional legends and hometown heroes, Sabrina Ionescu’s name came up repeatedly by St. John’s students themselves.

That recognition matters. For a WNBA player to resonate organically with college students in NYC speaks to Ionescu’s growing cultural footprint.

Students also revealed that the Nike Sabrina 2 was on display at the university as part of a sneaker exhibit celebrating New York City culture. The model paid homage to Sabrina’s Liberty roots, reinforcing her connection to the city and its basketball identity.

Seeing Sabrina 3s popping up in the NFL & NCAAB on Sunday reminded me of the time I interviewed St. John’s students about NYC’s top 5 athletes. Of course, Sabrina’s name came up, and they told me the Nike Sabrina 2s were already on display at their school.

Legacy in real time.… pic.twitter.com/4s8EnCcoSF
— NYLFTV (@NYLibertyFanTV) December 23, 2025

Duke: Sabrina 3 Blue Devils

At Duke University, the Liberty guard's impact is embedded directly into the program. The latest Duke women’s basketball Player Exclusive is a Nike Sabrina 3, created specifically for the Lady Blue Devils.

According to Sole Retriever, the sneaker features a full black engineered mesh upper with thick stitched support, contrasted by shiny, diamond-plated Duke Blue Swooshes along the side panels. The iconic Duke “D” logo sits on the tongue, tying the program’s legacy directly to Ionescu’s growing footwear empire.

That exclusivity sends a message that the Sabrina line is trusted at one of the most demanding programs in college basketball.

USC: Jazzy Davidson Debuts Sabrina 3 PE

Then came Jazzy Davidson. A USC guard with national expectations and a West Coast pedigree, Davidson’s debut of her Sabrina 3 PE in a USC colorway felt symbolic.

"It was just like a dream come true. I mean, I feel like a lot of people dream of having their own PE shoe, and then also just having it be this model - the Sabrina 3 is one of my favorite basketball shoes, so it's really surreal," Davidson said.

For Davidson to lace up a Sabrina 3 PE so early in her college journey speaks to how normalized the shoe has become at the highest levels of the game.

"I'm super excited to debut these shoes. I love the design. I love the model of the shoes, so I can't wait."

USC's Jazzy Davidson has her own Sabrina 3 PE ✌️✌️✌️ @sabrina_i20 pic.twitter.com/Jv4xDiRIN0
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) December 22, 2025

The Bigger Picture

The Nike Sabrina line has already proven its dominance at the professional level. At one point, it was the second-most worn shoe in the NBA behind the Kobe 6. Today, both the Sabrina 2 and Sabrina 3 rank in the top 10 for minutes played league-wide. It has crossed sports, appearing in wrestling rings, on soccer fields, and most recently on the NFL stage when Herbert wore custom Sabrina 3 cleats.

But its college-level impact may be the most meaningful chapter yet. From gifting Final Four teams, to shaping sneaker culture on NYC campuses, to anchoring elite Power Five programs like Duke, to now being worn by the next generation through players like USC’s Davidson - the Sabrina sneaker has become part of the NCAA ecosystem.

Nike already dominates college basketball, powering programs like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and UConn. With that infrastructure in place, the Sabrina line is no longer knocking on the door - it’s made itself at home.

The question isn’t whether her impact will last. It’s whether the Nike Sabrina is quietly becoming the sneaker of college basketball.

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