Sabrina Ionescu receives outpour of Filipino love in Manila return

From riding an iconic Filipino mode of transportation in the jeepney to receiving an outpour of warm welcome from local fans, WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu definitely felt the Filipino love in her Manila return.

And she made sure to give love back to the Philippine basketball community in her packed three-day visit to the country.

"I just wanna say thank you. I haven’t been back here for a really long time and I was really happy to come back because I know the love for basketball is real here," Ionescu said in a panel talk at Nike Fort BGC on Monday.

"Everyone back home we feel the support and hopefully you’re able to feel that it’s kind of reciprocated back to you with the energy that I pour into everyone here in Manila during my time."

Ionescu is a beloved women's basketball figure across the globe with her charisma on and off the court, helping the Liberty win the WNBA title last year — her first title in the professional level — following a finals setback the year before.

The 27-year-old flamethrower is also a three-time WNBA All-Star and was part of the USA women's national team that captured the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics to deliver their 8th straight title.

And in her first visit to the Philippines since 2018, Ionescu made sure to show love back to the fans.

She started it with interactions among locals in BGC, Taguig after her arrival last Sunday then participated in a panel talk in front of select media members and sports enthusiasts at Nike Fort.

In the panel discussion, Ionescu was joined by former National University Lady Bulldogs star and Gilas Pilipinas women member Camille Clarin, Gilas Youth head coach LA Tenorio, and DLSU women's basketball head coach Cholo Villanueva.

She then rode a jeepney going to the Courtyard, where she led a basketball camp and participated in a three-point shootout alongside other women hoop stars Kacey Dela Rosa, Louna Ozar, and Jhazmine Joson.

Ionescu will continue her schedule with a showcase and three-point challenge at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday and a visit to Girls Got Game Home Court in Bulacan.

"To be able to see the love coming here, from fans obviously, it means so much to me," she said.

"For everyone to be able to support all the way back in the United States and be able to come back here and to see everyone in person and feel the energy is a blessing and something I never take for granted."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News