The New York Liberty have taken a 2-1 lead over the Minnesota Lynx in the 2024 WNBA Finals and much of that is thanks to Sabrina Ionescu and her unmatched clutch gene. She's also been on fire ever since Oregon Football took down Ohio State in last week's marquee matchup, attesting that her Oregon-inspired Nike Sabrina 2 sneakers were her “lucky shoes.” In Game 3, we saw Ionescu take the court in the same pair and the rest is history.

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The No. 3 Oregon Ducks defeated No. 2 Ohio State last weekend to the tune of 32-31 in a thriller that came down to the final seconds. It was a massive win for the Oregon Ducks in their search for a National Championship and Oregon legend Ionescu was tuned into the game.

The next day, Ionescu lead the Liberty to a Game 2 win where she recorded 15 points, five assists, and four rebounds to even the Finals at 1-1. During the game, she paid homage to her alma mater and wore her newest Nike Sabrina 2 in an upcoming “Oregon” colorway. Oddly enough, she was asked about the shoes and what part they may have played in her performance.

Sabrina Ionescu's Nike Sabrina 2

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“Obviously I stayed up watching the game…after they won the way they did, I was like yeah, I'm gonna wear my Oregon shoes because I wanted to embody that tough, gritty win that they pulled off. A lot of things didn't go right for them and they continued to kinda fight and stay together and grind out a really big win. I kinda want to bring that energy to the court…so, I think I'm gonna wear the same shoes again on Wednesday.” Ionescu said of her “Oregon” Nike Sabrina 2s.

Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello responded with a “lucky shoes” remark to cap off the exhange.

The shoes certainly proved to be “lucky” as Sabrina Ionescu donned the same pair in Game 3 and eventually hit the game-winning three in one of the best WNBA Finals finishes of all-time. The Liberty won the game 80-77 and will head back to New York with a 2-1 series lead.

While the Nike Sabrina 2 sneakers may give Sabrina Ionescu an added aura of toughness and grittiness, we all know “luck” had nothing to do with it as she continues to grow as one of the best WNBA Finals performers of all-time. She's once again on the cusp of greatness as she tries to bring the New York Liberty their first-ever WNBA Championship.