WNBA star Ionescu happy to hear of ex-classmate Brooke Van Sickle's PVL success

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March 11, 2025 | 2:18pm

MANILA, Philippines — Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion Sabrina Ionescu was in the Philippines as part of her Nike Tour.

And amid the buzz of the spotlight, the New York Liberty star never forgot an old familiar face back from their college days at the University of Oregon — Premier Volleyball League standout Brooke Van Sickle of Petro Gazz.

“We came in together at Oregon, so it's been, you know, we were able to kind of go through that learning period together,” said Ionescu during one of several media interviews she gave at The Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati on Tuesday.

“She played volleyball, I played basketball but we shared the same arena and I think that’s something that kind of helped us grow,” she added.

Of course, Van Sickle was Ionescu’s former classmate and both played for the Ducks with the former for the volleyball team and the latter for the basketball squad.

She said Van Sickle‘s journey from the US NCAA to the PVL is also something to be impressed about.

“Obviously, being able to see how she’s done in her career is really inspiring as well,” said Ionescu, who first visited here five years ago.

The country showered Ionescu with love and adoration after holding camps in Taguig and Bulacan and gamely posed for photos and signed autographs in his first few days in the country.

Ionescu said she had nothing but appreciation for the basketball mad Filipino fans.

“It was surreal, really exciting to feel the energy. It’s vibrant, powerful and makes me want to be better, makes me want to continue doing things that I’ve been doing,” she said.

“Their support for me is an all-time high.”