No. 1 was in action but No. 20 New York Liberty briefly stole the show Saturday in Eugene.

Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu took home the WNBA championship trophy on a cross-country trip this weekend, showcasing her latest brand of hardware at the University of Oregon midway through the weekend’s game. end of the Ducks against Maryland.

During a break, Ionescu brought out the trophy to the delight of the spectators gathered at Autzen Stadium, who also earned a 39-18 victory over the Terrapins. Before that, Ionescu appeared on the Big Ten Network’s pregame show, “B1G tailgate” who calls the Eugene campus home.

The Ducks football program, which took first place in the initial 2024 College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, looks to follow Ionescu’s lead and win its own first championship. Ionescu is married to former Ducks offensive lineman Hronnis Grasu, as the two tied the knot in March.

Before the Liberty embarked on its title quest, Ionescu made it clear that part of the eventual championship would belong to Oregon.

“I feel like if we can achieve that this year, for me personally, that’s kind of part of the journey,” declared the Liberty leader. “I feel like a little part of me will somehow be returned to the University of Oregon because I wouldn’t be here without what this university has meant to me and how it has supported me throughout my career, and not being able to get that hurt a little bit, but it just motivated me to want to feel that again.”

During her time in Eugene, Ionescu and several teammates (such as fellow WNBA All-Stat Satou Sabally and current Liberty teammate Nyara Sabally) has helped the Ducks women’s basketball program reach unprecedented heights. Ionescu also became the all-time leader in triple-doubles in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball records.

However, a final chance at a national championship was denied when COVID-19 restrictions shut down the 2020 NCAA tournaments. Armed with Ionescu, Sabally, Ruthy Hebard and others, the Ducks were widely considered to be the potential seed in the women’s category. Ionescu made sure this final opportunity wasn’t wasted, helping the Liberty win their first-ever playoff championship.

Oregon football has a chance to continue making Ionescu proud next Saturday as its quest for perfection continues against Wisconsin (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

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