Sabrina Ionescu considered Kobe Bryant a friend and mentor. She was close to his family, including his basketball-loving daughter, Gianna, who hoped to play at Oregon one day. Just hours after speaking at a memorial service for Kobe and Gianna, who died in a helicopter crash in January, then-Oregon star Ionescu channeled Bryant in a game that would end with her writing her name into the history books. She became the first player in Division 1 history with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds, legendary numbers that may never be put up again. "If I represented the present of the women's game, Gigi was the future, and Kobe knew it," Ionescu said during her tribute. "So we decided to build a future together." Now playing for the New York Liberty in the WNBA, Ionescu continues to carry that torch.
