SABRINA IONESCU meets girls in Bulacan.

WNBA AND OLYMPIC champion Sabrina Ionescu spent her last day in Manila meeting new communities and inspiring young female ballers to reach new heights through the power of sports.

Fresh from a rousing exhibition game with Filipino basketball legends and hot young talents at the Smart Araneta Coliseum the night before, Sabrina traveled to Sta. Maria, Bulacan, to hold a skills camp for Girls Got Game Philippines (GGG), a local nonprofit that empowers young women ages 10 – 15, and is supported by Nike as part of the brand’s commitment to power the future of youth sport.

The skills camp took place at the Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) in Sta. Maria, where Nike and GGG partnered to set up creatively designed, multi-purpose courts in the school, aiming to grow the basketball community and empower women, similar to The Courtyard in BGC. Sabrina, along with Filipina visual artist and illustrator Jill Arteche, and the GGG campers, unveiled the new designs and made the first shot.

GGG campers peeled off tiled portions placed on the four corners of one of the courts and held them up for Sabrina to see. Visibly touched, Sabrina hugged the kids and said, “I want to thank you. I hope you all enjoy this and keep on going forward. Continue to work really hard and chase your dreams.”

The colorful artwork, celebrating the beauty and vibrancy of Filipino culture, features graphic details designed to empower SHA youth. The outdoor court, “Break The Barrier,” encourages young girls to defy norms by confidently stepping onto the court to claim their space in basketball.

After the skills camp, Sabrina visited Barangay Caysio, a vibrant community in Bulacan, known for its rich cultural heritage and close-knit atmosphere. The community prepared a fiesta for her to experience.

Sabrina is now headed to the next leg of her Asia tour in Guangzhou, China, where she will meet local athletes, visit hallowed courts, and host another grassroots basketball camp for girls. She will then move on to Hong Kong, where she will experience street basketball culture in a local neighborhood and visit schools to help students learn to break through barriers in life and sport.