Sabrina Ionescu’s connection with Spike Lee began when she was drafted by the New York Liberty. The legendary basketball enthusiast was among the first to welcome her to New York after the Liberty selected her with the No. 1 pick in 2020.
“He was the first person who called me and shared the excitement with New York getting the No. 1 pick,” Ionescu recounted following her stellar 21-point performance in an 87-77 victory over Las Vegas on Sunday. “Every time I’ve seen him, we’ve had small talk, and I said he’s got to come out to a game. To be able to see him here cheering us on loud, over there chirping at the refs and talking to the players.”
Spike Lee, known for his animated presence at New York Knicks games and his infamous trash-talking with opposing players, including Reggie Miller, was once again courtside at Barclays Center. This time, he donned an Ionescu jersey.
The object of his playful banter on this occasion was Aces guard Kelsey Plum.
“I can’t say exactly what was said, but I told him that he should talk louder,” Plum said with a smile after the game. “But it was all well and fun and really cool that he’s here, even last round was really cool. I know he’s a big sports fan.”
This game marked the second consecutive Liberty playoff match that Lee attended. He was present at the opening round clincher against Atlanta, where he gave Ionescu a high-five in the third quarter, a moment she described as feeling like “New York was injected into my veins.”
Lee was part of a high-energy, sellout crowd of 14,015 that also included notable Liberty fans Jason Sudeikis and Tracy Morgan.
