An Olympic Gold medallist, a Commissioner’s Cup champion, the only WNBA star to compete in an NBA All-Star event yet, one of the greatest collegiate athletes ever, and a plethora of accolades. However, none of this was enough for the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu to impress her father. At least, not all the time. While he previously showed his pride in his daughter who elevated the Oregon Ducks in her NCAA career and has been acing her role in the WNBA, it looks like the other side of the coin is at the front.

Sabrina Ionescu’s father, Dan, sat down with Lucille O’Neal and Sonya Curry on their podcast Raising Fame. The hosts asked him if he always anticipated how far the 3x WNBA All-Star would reach in her career. Responding to the question, he had a one-word reply, “No.”

Adding to it, he said, “That never crossed my mind. I still don’t think she’s all that, if you ask me. I’m serious, I will bring my arguments. You should always be happy and thankful for what you have and what you achieve. And God bless her, I’m truly happy for her. But you should never ever be satisfied.”

He ended the conversation by saying, “Do I think she’s God walking on water? No! She’s not worth it.” Clearly, he has dropped his proud self somewhere on the way since back in 2021, his conversation with Luka Dukich, a Chicago Bulls insider, came to the surface. When he drove Uber, he told Dukich, “(Sabrina Ionescu) is not good. She is THE BEST.”

While we may not know why exactly he had the change of heart, we do know how her mother feels for her.

A throwback to Sabrina Ionescu’s mother sending her a heartfelt message

Long after the guard’s father boasted about her to the Uber passenger, Ionescu proved why she was worth the praise she got from her father. She had led the Ducks through glorious tourneys, with two Final Four appearances. When making her final appearance in the Pac-12 with Oregon, Sabrina Ionescu received some much-needed motivation before her semi-final clash against the 4-seed Arizona. In an emotional gesture, her mother, Liliana, extended her pride over Ionescu’s accomplishments.

“I’m more than proud of everything that’s going to line up, going forward to you”, Liliana said. “You know that we’ll be there for you anytime, any moment. Sky’s the limit and I know you can do it. I love you.” Following this, Sabrina’s stellar exhibition in the NCAA tournament won her the USBWA Player of the Year as well as the Naismith College Player of the Year. On top of that, she was the 1st overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Drafts and became a part of the New York Liberty.

Undeniably, Sabrina’s parents have a reason to be proud. The 5-ft-11 guard has, for 4 years, been an amazing find for the franchise. Although they have not won a title yet, Ionescu’s leadership is certainly paving a great way for the Liberty. We will have to wait and see what else she can bring to the table in the upcoming years.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.