There is a very short list of WNBA players who have received their own sneaker deals as signature models were historically reserved for only the top one or two players in the league. As it stands, just three active WNBA players have their own signature sneakers since Sheryl Swoopes first did it in 1995. However, no sneaker in WNBA history has quite transcended itself like Sabrina Ionescu's debut Nike Sabrina 1. Check out our Sneakers news for more upcoming releases and breaking content!

New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu debuted her first sneaker with Nike, titled the “Sabrina 1,” back in September 2023 following the Liberty's run to the WNBA Finals. She joined her teammate and year's MVP Breanna Stewart as fellow athletes with signature deals. The Nike Sabrina 1 instantly became a hit with its familiar, yet innovative design and immediately saw popularity growing through the offseason.

However, no one could have suspected the massive growth the shoes would see throughout the NBA game. Since the 2023-24 NBA season tipped-off in October 2023, Sabrina Ionescu's shoes have been a common occurrence among some of the biggest stars. 77 players wore the Nike Sabrina 1s in-game this season according to ESPN and kixstats.com. Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday was the first NBA star to debut the pair and has worn them most among all active players.

According to the world's best athletes, the Nike Sabrina 1 holds up as one of the best basketball sneakers on the market. A huge focal point for Ionescu was to not create a shoe for the women's or men's game, but to create a shoe purely for basketball. Her low-cut silhouette takes clear cues from her mentor Kobe Bryant's Nike line and it's apparent NBA talent sees value in their versatility and look on the court. The shoes have even made a massive splash in the Men's and Women's NCAA Tournament, as well as the newest NBA 2K video game.

Nike offers nine colorways of the Nike Sabrina 1 with the ‘By You' option to create your own pair. With the constantly changing uniform and court combinations of the NBA, players are able to stay creative by designing their own colorways and personalizing pairs. It's been a huge selling point for the sneakers and has resulted in some unique twists on an already hot shoe. We'll be taking a look at our favorite pairs of Nike Sabrina 1's worn throughout the NBA this year, as followed by ESPN & Boardroom's Nick DePaula.

5. Pacers' Ben Sheppard – Nike Sabrina 1 “By You”

The Indiana Pacers' Ben Sheppard wore this custom Nike Sabrina 1 colorway against the Detroit Pistons. Sheppard totaled nine points, three assists, and two rebounds in 22 minutes of action during the 122-103 win. The shoes were a complete departure from the yellow uniforms of the Pacers, but looked looked great on the court nonetheless.

4. Pistons' Cade Cunningham – Nike Sabrina 1 PE

Cade Cunningham laced this clean colorway up for the Detroit Pistons in their game against the Toronto Raptors in December 2023. The Pistons notched their third win of the season to the tune of 129-127 and Cunningham scored a team-high 30 points and 12 assists. This colorway is particularly great due to its simplicity, yet effectiveness with the mismatch swooshes.

5. Celtics' Jrue Holiday – Nike Sabrina 1 PE

Jrue Holiday has worn the Nike Sabrina 1 through 53 games this season and being the first to rock them in the NBA, we had to have him on this list with a clean colorway he wore during the In-Season Tournament. Holiday wore a multitude of different colorways throughout the season, but these caught the eye with their clashing style to the Celtic's uniform and the use of some old Milwaukee Bucks' colors for his shoes.

2. Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons – Nike Sabrina 1 “By You”

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons laced these custom Nike Sabrina 1s up against the Sacramento Kings in December 2023. Simons led his team in scoring with 29 points in 35 minutes of action, lifting his squad to a 130-113 win over their rivaled Kings. Of course, these are based on the Bruce Lee colorway we've seen on Nike Kobe sneakers in the past and they unsurprisingly make a perfect transition to Sabrina Ionescu's silhouette. Kobe Bryant himself would be proud of this sneaker.

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1. Knicks' DaQuan Jeffries and Bucks' TyTy Washington – Nike Sabrina 1 “What The”

While DaQuan Jeffries and TyTy Washington weren't the only ones to rock the electric “What The” colorway of the Nike Sabrina 1, they were certainly some of the earliest adopters of the shoes as a whole. This colorway is a mash-up version of previous coloways, combining for a beautifully balanced shoe that works with any uniform combination.

We've seen sneakers from Kobe Bryant and LeBron James received the ‘What The' treatment in the past, but it's safe to say the Ionescu's version hit it out of the park and will continue to be a favorite amongst NBA players moving forward. It's only a matter of time before we see the Nike Sabrina 2 hitting the NBA by storm.

Which Nike Sabrina 1 from the NBA season was your favorite?