The University of Oregon women’s basketball team is continuing its season with the inspiration of former Ducks guiding its goals.
The 15-women roster believes they can win a championship, but 23 regular season games and tournament play stand between aspiration and an accolade — a National Championship trophy. This daunting reality doesn’t dismay the No. 25-ranked Ducks, who are coming off an impressive start to the season and their first program win against a ranked team since February 2023.
Watching the 76-74 win over the late No. 12 Baylor University Bears, was 2024 WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist and Oregon alumni Sabrina Ionescu. From the bench, the home team looked across the arena to New York Liberty’s starting point guard Ionescu, who sat court-side and held up a three as Ducks sanks shots from outside the arc.
“I think it’s great for our fans, community and team to see someone of that caliber on our sidelines supporting us and believing in us,” Deja Kelly, guard and graduate transfer from the University of North Carolina, said.
“Sabrina said ‘Honestly, at the end of the day, it just comes down to what you’re trying to do for yourself and how you can better yourself,’” Kelly said in reference to her pre-portal conversation with Ionescu.
The Texas native, who recorded a near triple-double in her Matthew Knight Arena debut, is looking to join the NCAA record holder for triple-doubles at the professional level next season, but first, Kelly wants “to make the tournament and win a championship with this school.”
Head coach Kelly Graves looks to fulfill the same dream. He follows a similar pro-style offensive blueprint used by his friend and Liberty’s head coach, Sandy Brondello, which he says helped Ionescu transition smoothly to Madison Square Garden.
The Liberty created an efficient attack by running a system that emphasized ball movement while managing to limit turnovers. The team pushed the pace with the most fast break points in all of the WNBA. Kelly said she watched Ionescu and the Liberty effectively execute this offensive approach.
Ionescu isn’t the only WNBA champion Oregon players want to emulate this year. Former Duck and Ionescu’s fellow teammate (for the second time) Nyara Sabally was an equally integral member of the Liberty and helped take down the Minnesota Lynx to win New York its first-ever title.
“Nyara is a great example that coach focused on,” Alexis Whitfield, a transfer forward hailing from the University of California Santa Barbara, said. “Before the playoffs, Nyara wasn’t necessarily doing as much as she did, but when you look at her final few games, she was a high-impact player for them.”
Sabally, who suffered a back injury for half of the season, put up 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench during the deciding game of the WNBA Finals. The 6-foot-5 forward also had a steal and layup in overtime to help extend the Liberty’s lead.
“I just think how they have different players who can step up on different nights; we have that ability, too,” Graves said. “So, as a coach, that’s going to be a lot of fun to see.”
“When it’s your time to be called on, you have to fit those shoes,” Whitfield said. “That’s exactly what Nyara did and what our team will continue to do.”
With the proper support, game plan and drive, this Oregon team is bound for New York City-style success.
“They got a championship; I would love to get that for us, too,” Graves said. “That would be the biggest similarity that I see.”
