Sabrina Ionescu wanted a quiet offseason. After 1 season playing in Unrivaled, Ionescu decided to skip it the second time around. Just last week, she arrived at the New York Liberty’s announcement of their new coach, Chris DeMarco, as a show of support. Unfortunately for Ionescu, her offseason has been interrupted by a personal tragedy at her home in Los Angeles. 

The Southern California home owned by Sabrina Ionescu and her husband, former NFL offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu, was burglarized on Monday night. Two suspects smashed through the Los Angeles-area house’s rear glass door at around 8:15 p.m. PT, ransacked the location, and took property from the residence.

They then fled in an unknown vehicle in an unknown direction, the authorities said. Fortunately, neither Ionescu nor Grasu was present in the home at the time of the incident. So far, no arrests have been made. An investigation is ongoing, according to NBC4, as police reviewed the security camera videos as evidence. The suspects wore ski masks during the break-in and stole $60,000 worth of handbags.

It’s not the first time Ionescu has been a victim of theft. In 2023, two of her Sabrina 1s were stolen while her team was on the road. “Never thought I would get my shoes stolen from an opposing arena … Please just bring me my insoles back,” Ionescu said in a post on X. “RIP to my Sabrina 1s.” It‘s unknown if the shoes were actually found. This time, the robbery was much more serious. 

This instance is the latest in a long list of high-profile home burglaries. NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Joe Burrow, and NBA stars like Mike Conley Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Dončić have been victims of such incidents.

While the burglary was deeply personal, it also highlighted a broader truth: Sabrina Ionescu now occupies the same high-profile space as the game’s biggest stars.

Sabrina Ionescu’s brand value is on the rise

It’s clear that despite the uncertainty around the CBA and the change in coaching at the New York Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu is part of their plans. The franchise could build around Ionescu as the No.1 player after Breanna Stewart, who carried that responsibility for years. As Ionescu’s career in basketball progresses, her off-court brand value is on the rise as well. 

After leaving Under Armour, Stephen Curry wore Sabrina Ionescu’s signature Sabrina 3s for the matchup against the Utah Jazz. “We have a long history, she’s from the Bay, and just obviously following her career,” he said after the game. “There was a time when she was coming out of school, and I was trying to get her to Curry Brand. It’s hard to get an Oregon Duck to leave Nike. But it was cool.”

Now, a week ago, Ionescu became the first global ambassador of Ant International. It is the Singapore-based affiliate of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group. “Sabrina embodies the spirit of perseverance and the passion for excellence that is driving young talents and small businesses around the world to uplift their communities,” said Douglas Feagin, president of Ant International, in a statement. Beyond just the recent developments, Ionescu also has past investments that elevate her stature among WNBA athletes. 

Ionescu is a co-owner and commercial adviser at National Women’s Soccer League club Bay FC. She is also the founder of the SI20 Foundation, which works to expand access to sports for underserved youth in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Oregon. Ionescu is also chief athlete officer at Division Street, an organization that helps players at the University of Oregon profit from endorsements.