The Oregon Athletic Department has welcomed former star athletes back to Eugene over the years in such ways as honoring them at games or helping them give back to the community. A chance for Ducks fans to see a legendary athlete play on campus one last time is a rare opportunity, let alone watching two former Ducks perform.

Oregon women’s basketball greats Sabrina Ionescu (2016-2020) and Nyara Sabally (2018-2022) will make their return to Matthew Knight Arena on May 12, as part of the New York Liberty’s WNBA preseason schedule. They’ll play the Toyota Antelopes, a team from the Women’s Japan Basketball League.

“I never thought I was going to be able to play on that court and in front of our amazing Duck fans again,” Sabally said, according to a Liberty press release. “I know Oregon is going to show out and it’s going to be an amazing atmosphere!”

The Liberty’s coming to Eugene is part of a unique trend in the WNBA, where franchises are playing preseason games at college campuses. For example, the Las Vegas Aces and the Dallas Wings will face off at the University of Notre Dame, while Louisiana State University welcomes back their very own, Angel Reese, when the Chicago Sky play there in May.

Ionescu and Sabally will return to Oregon after a WNBA Championship with New York at the end of last season. Ionescu said in November when she appeared on Big Ten Tailgate in Eugene that “a part of that championship is for the University of Oregon.”

The Ducks were among the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament back in 2020 when both Ionescu and Sabally were on the team, but the season was cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ended Ionescu’s award-winning career as a Duck before she had the opportunity to play in front of the Matthew Knight Arena crowd for the final time.

Five years later, Ionescu will have another chance to play on an Oregon-branded court. The two former Ducks play their preseason game five days before they’ll be presented their championship rings in New York on opening day.