Everyone felt the emotions when Sabrina Ionescu said, “Because she’s a huge part of this team and we can’t wait for her to come back,” referring to Courtney Vandersloot. At the time, the veteran guard had already missed six games as she cared for her mother, who was battling advanced multiple myeloma before passing away. Months later, Vandersloot has finally found a way to honor her mother’s memory.

Against a team they have failed to best this regular season, the New York Liberty once again failed to emerge on top. But in the historic 93-95 game, Vandersloot had something to carry with pride — debuting her own colorway boosted by Nike Sabrina. The “Sabrina 2 By You” by Liberty’s #20, available for customization by individuals, saw Vandersloot design a colorway to pay tribute to her mother, inspired by a photo of hers.

“Courtney Vandersloot is debuting her own ‘Sabrina 2 By You’ colorway for the #WNBA Finals,” shared Nick De Paula on X.

Jan Vandersloot passed away in June after battling cancer for two years. The Liberty had held two minutes of silence before their game, having considered each other family. “Anytime we come together, I think it just shows why we play and what’s really important in life. And obviously, just wrapping our arms around her and her family…is important,” Ionescu had expressed.

The colorway is nostalgic for Vandersloot, who struggled on and off the court since 2022 to help her mother through her illness. As Vandersloot has revealed previously, her mother was her rock. The positivity her mother offered gave Vandersloot the strength to keep going, despite juggling Liberty games and flights to Washington.

Now that it’s over, there’s no erasing the pain just yet. But her teammates are here to lend any help and support needed. “Ultimately, we want to support her…I think it just goes to show that we’re a family,” added Ionescu. So, a new colorway for Vandersloot, inspired by her favorite photo of her mom, was a perfect way to honor her. That too, in a season where the team is vying for a championship title.

But it isn’t the only special debut by Sabrina 2s

As revealed by Sabrina last Saturday, Liberty’s mascot, Ellie the Elephant, has her own colorway of the Nike ‘Sabrina 2’. “Name a mascot with her own shoe? You can’t,” captioned Ionescu in her Instagram post. Alongside a photo of Ellie with her shoe, Ionescu also posted some fun videos of her beloved mascot inside Nike’s NYC headquarters.

According to the pictures, Ellie’s court-ready sneaker features a white and black color scheme with a seafoam hue throughout. However, the highlight of the shoe is Nike’s iconic elephant print on the heel, on both the medial and lateral sides. The shoe also has “00” on the heel as a nod to Ellie’s jersey number.

When it comes to technology, Nike’s shoes are designed with a soft, plush Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole, comprising a firmer Cushlon foam carrier and Nike Zoom Air unit in the forefoot for energy return and responsiveness. Vandersloot’s debut is expected to have similar features but with newer details — glow-in-the-dark outsole options, multiple shimmering Swoosh designs and eye-popping graphics, that “By You” offers. Vandersloot’s custom design is available on Nike’s official website, priced at $160.