Despite wanting to make her Olympics debut in Tokyo in 2021, Sabrina Ionescu couldn’t make it to the training camp for the quadrennial event. Recovering from surgery and an ankle injury, Ionescu’s dream of playing internationally in the Olympics had to wait for 3 more years. But when it came to Paris, the training camp provided tough competition to her in the form of experienced players. So, when the 26-year-old was called for an interview, she couldn’t believe what she experienced next.

The New York Liberty star was present during an interview on the talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers on Thursday when she revealed a faux interview that was set up in June that eventually led to tears. And just like Ionescu, fans were too surprised to hear the anecdote.

Sabrina Ionescu shares her Olympic selection story

A nostalgic Ionescu shared her side of the story of how she came to know about her selection in Team USA. “I don’t get surprised often, and I got surprised. Um, they said I had an interview, and was just like ‘I don’t wanna do it.’ And they were like ‘You need to come do this interview.’ And so then, I walked into the hotel and they had the Director of USA Basketball, was holding up a 6 Ionescu jersey and I just started crying because I was like ‘This means I made the team,'” Ionescu shared via Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Ionescu had previously won gold for the senior women’s basketball team during the 2022 World Cup in Australia and wanted to represent Team USA in the Olympics. Her peers such as A’ja Wilson had already bagged gold at the quadrennial event before. However, when she got a chance to play for her country in Paris, she left no stone unturned.

In the limited time she got to represent Team USA in Paris, Ionescu always gave her best. She averaged 5.5 points per game, shooting 42% field goals. Her distinct recognizable moment with the squad came during a game against Belgium when she hit a three-pointer to help the team win the game by an 87-74 margin, as per Yahoo Sports. Even during the gold medal contest, Ionescu dished out valuable 3 assists and was instrumental in helping her team edge out France by a 67-66 margin. Plus, she also shared her feelings about the Olympic Finals game.

Sabrina Ionescu had chills during the Olympic final game

“It gave me the chills,” Ionescu opined about the experience of playing in her first Olympics gold medal game. The California-born revealed that it was a memorable experience to beat the home team in the Finale. The crowd and the atmosphere were exhilarating, with fans bringing out their drums and cheering for their team, which made Ionescu reflect on the environment back in America. “We need to bring this here,” Ionescu revealed thinking to herself.

Maybe silencing the crowd with her crucial 3 assists and helping her team recover from a double-digit deficit to ultimately seal the game is something that Ionescu will always be proud of. And fans would be hoping that she performs the same in the WNBA for the New York Liberty.

And now that she has come forward to share her Olympic selection experience, other WNBA stars who are vying for a spot will be hoping that the same happens to them soon. Meanwhile, Ionescu can bask in the glory now that she has come back with her first Olympic gold medal.

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.