WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu made history on Monday when she arrived to Manila, Philippines, for the first leg of her three-leg Asia Tour. She is the first women’s basketball player with a signature Nike sneaker line to tour Asia, and the New York Liberty guard is the first WNBA player to make the trip.
Manila is the first stop of the tour. From there, Ionescu will visit Guangzhou and Hong Kong. She will join several youth basketball clinics, host a grassroots camp for girls, check out Nike retail stores, and pay a visit to local schools. Ionescu also played in an exhibition showcase while in the Philippines, where a controversial play went viral.
One of Ionescu’s opponents, who appeared to be in high school, kept beating her to a spot to play tight defense. She was annoyed by how hard he was going during an exhibition. It began with a stare down.
Moments later, Ionescu initiated hard contact on the baseline and threw out her arm. The defender got called for a foul even though he was in the right place at the right spot. She threw the ball in his chest.
Sabrina Ionescu Lost Her Cool Against A Male Player
Both the male player and Ionescu appeared to be giving it their all for a casual exhibition matchup. Some felt her intensity was too much for a meaningless game against players who clearly weren’t pros.
Then there are those who question whether the male player had been too physical with Ionescu. But one could ask why she would agree to such a challenge to begin with?
This moment. 😤 Sabrina Ionescu #SabrinaInManila pic.twitter.com/yX3ZRhJGbY
— venice (@VenNotBen) March 11, 2025
sabrina you menace 😭 pic.twitter.com/hS7QAKiavY
— iz lvs ionescu ꨄ︎ (@sunkisses4bella) March 11, 2025
Basketball fans were also quick to get upset over how she acted toward a high school kid during an exhibition game. But she managed to crack a smile after the play ended.
Sabrina Ionescu, 27, is a three-time WNBA All-Star who helped the Liberty win the championship last season, so maybe the California native is just one of the most competitive athletes.
However, the play is a big deal for some considering WNBA players in the past had publicly demanded the same pay as NBA players. Ionescu was beat fair and square by a men’s high school basketball player.
