WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu responds to popular misconceptions and assumptions about women's basketball and athletes who participate in the sport. Do female players get paid less than male players? Do you need to be over 6 feet tall to dunk? Find out what myths are false and which ones ring true as Sabrina sets out to clear the air.Sabrina Ionescu recently launched her unisex collection with Nike. Director: Claire BussDirector of Photography: Lauren PruittEditor: Estan EsparzaCreative Producer: Belle RomanAssociate Producer: Oadhan LynchProduction Manager: Natasha Soto-AlborsProduction Coordinator: Jamal ColvinTalent Booker: Meredith JudkinsCamera Operator: Cara LehmanAudio Engineer: Lily Van LeeuwenProduction Assistant: Ziyne AbdoPost Production Supervisor: Christian OlguinPost Production Coordinator: Scout AlterSupervising Editor: Erica DillmanAdditional Editor: Jason MaliziaAssistant Editor: Billy WardGraphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 Hi Glamour, I'm a professional basketball player,
00:02 Sabrina Inescu, and today I'm gonna be debunking
00:04 some myths about women's basketball.
00:06 (upbeat music)
00:09 So there are three categories of questions,
00:15 some about the WNBA, some about the sport of basketball,
00:18 and some about identity.
00:19 (upbeat music)
00:22 Female players are paid less than male players.
00:24 This is true, the NBA base salary is a lot higher
00:28 than the WNBA base salary.
00:30 Obviously the goal is for women to continue
00:33 to get paid more and doing what we can,
00:35 using our platforms to advocate for change
00:38 and continuing to try and grow the game.
00:40 WNBA players aren't as aggressive on the court
00:43 as NBA players.
00:45 That is not true.
00:47 Every player is different, so I think some players
00:49 play with more aggression, some play more finesse,
00:51 it's really dependent on the player,
00:52 not necessarily what league you play in.
00:54 I believe some WNBA players are more aggressive
00:57 on the court than NBA players.
00:59 I would say I'm more aggressive.
01:00 I like to take the contact, give contact as well,
01:03 and try and finish through it.
01:05 Playing internationally is more profitable
01:06 than playing in the US.
01:08 This also just depends who you are
01:10 and where you go internationally.
01:11 A lot of players do go to certain cities
01:15 that do pay more than in the league,
01:16 but it just depends the type of player you are
01:18 and what point you are in your career.
01:20 A lot of the younger players could potentially
01:22 make more money overseas, and some of the older players
01:25 do decide to stay because they make enough money here.
01:27 It's easier to make three-porters in the WNBA
01:29 because the line is closer.
01:31 I don't think so.
01:33 Obviously, we play with a smaller ball
01:35 and the line's a little bit closer,
01:37 but I shoot from behind the line anyway,
01:40 so I don't think it's much of a difference.
01:42 It's what we've grown up playing on that court
01:44 with that three-point line, and so I don't think
01:46 it makes it easier or harder.
01:48 I think it's just what you're used to
01:49 and how you've been able to train.
01:51 My tip would be you have to be really good
01:53 around the basket, so you gotta work on form shots
01:56 and make sure that you're good from the free throw line
01:58 in order to be great from the three-point line.
02:00 The basketball program you attend in college
02:02 determines how successful you would be in the WNBA.
02:06 I don't think this is true.
02:07 I think it plays a part in your development in college
02:10 and being able to play at the highest level in college
02:12 against some of the players you're gonna be playing
02:14 in the league for sure helps,
02:16 but I don't think it's the end-all, be-all
02:18 on how great of a player you're gonna be in the WNBA.
02:21 Let's move on with questions about the sport of basketball.
02:24 You have to be over six feet to dunk.
02:27 I think it helps, but I don't think you have
02:30 to be over six feet to dunk.
02:31 I'm not sure I've met anyone under six feet
02:34 that dunk in the WNBA, but I do know
02:37 it has happened in the NBA, so I think it's really
02:39 just a matter of how athletic you are
02:41 and how high you can jump, not necessarily how tall you are.
02:43 You're under this pressure to dunk at such a young age.
02:46 There are a lot of players that do dunk.
02:47 There's some players that dunk in-game,
02:49 but I don't think there's much of a pressure.
02:51 It's the same amount of points as a layup.
02:53 It's just a lot flashier.
02:54 Playing offense is more difficult than playing defense.
02:58 That's not true.
02:59 I believe they're both really difficult.
03:00 It's just a different skill set.
03:02 Obviously, offense, you're trying to get the ball
03:04 in the basket, and so there's a lot more skill
03:07 and technique that goes into it.
03:08 On defense, it's more of a team defense,
03:11 especially in basketball.
03:12 You have to rely on the people behind the ball,
03:15 your post players.
03:16 Communication is super important on defense
03:18 just because you're not seeing what's happening behind you.
03:20 Usually, the arenas are really loud,
03:22 so it takes all five people on the court
03:24 talking in unison to be able to get the job done.
03:27 Let's go, Liberty.
03:32 That works every time.
03:37 I'm ready to go.
03:38 Shooting is the most important skill
03:40 to master in basketball.
03:42 I think it just depends on the type of player you are.
03:44 If you're a big man down low,
03:46 usually shooting doesn't need to be your most important skill.
03:49 Your most important skill needs to be
03:50 finishing around the basket.
03:52 And if you're a guard, sometimes that
03:53 could be point guard skills and handling the ball.
03:55 For me, passing is one of my most important skills.
03:59 Being able to get my teammates open
04:00 just creates a threat for the opposing team
04:03 if I'm not shooting the ball well
04:05 or if I'm guarded really hard.
04:06 It's really nice to be able to use my passing ability
04:08 to help my team win.
04:10 Growing up, you have to play on an AAU team
04:13 to play D1 in college.
04:15 I don't think you necessarily have to play on an AAU team.
04:17 Obviously, I think it helps because on the AAU circuit,
04:20 a lot of the times is when there's college viewing
04:23 tournaments and college coaches are coming in attendance
04:26 to watch a lot of the teams.
04:27 So I would say most of the time, 99% of the time,
04:31 a player that goes to college has played AAU basketball
04:33 because it's year round and you're always playing
04:36 against the best competition in the country.
04:38 I think the more you can be playing basketball
04:39 and be seen on the highest level
04:41 and playing against the best competition,
04:43 always the better.
04:44 You shouldn't wear a rival player's signature shoe.
04:48 Well, if you're a signature athlete, you definitely can't,
04:51 but if you are not, I believe it's up to you.
04:54 A lot of players wear their favorite player's shoe
04:57 because they want to represent them and support them,
04:59 but I've seen players wear all kinds of shoes.
05:02 I've worn every single player's shoe
05:04 at some point in my career,
05:05 and I think the more shoes you could wear, the better
05:08 because you're able to see what you like on your feet.
05:10 There's so much technology built in these shoes
05:12 that I think it's just dependent on what you like
05:14 and what helps you the most on the court.
05:16 Now I'll have some questions about the identity
05:18 in the sport.
05:19 Female athletes are all tomboys.
05:23 No, this is not true.
05:25 I feel like everyone has the opportunity
05:27 to be who they want to be.
05:29 Basketball has definitely opened my eyes
05:31 to just being able to see how so many individuals
05:34 are able to express themselves, and across all sports,
05:37 I think that's been the power of sport
05:38 is just being true to who you are,
05:40 and whether that's a tomboy, a girly girl,
05:43 I don't think it really matters.
05:44 If you aren't at least six foot,
05:46 you probably won't be successful in the WNBA.
05:49 This is not true.
05:50 There's so many players under six foot
05:52 that have had amazing careers.
05:54 I don't think it's a matter of height.
05:56 It's really just a matter of will
05:57 and wanting to be great and putting the work in.
06:00 Obviously, if you're very, very short,
06:02 I think it could put you at a disadvantage,
06:04 but if you're really fast and quick and have great skillset,
06:07 I don't think it really matters how tall you are
06:10 as long as you have the skills
06:12 to be able to be a great basketball player.
06:14 Female athletes don't have as much swag as male athletes.
06:18 I think female athletes have more swag sometimes
06:21 than male athletes because they are able
06:24 to express themselves however they want,
06:26 and I don't think it really matters
06:28 whether you're a female or a male.
06:29 I think it's just being who you wanna be
06:31 and representing that on and off the court.
06:34 The Liberty is a swaggy team.
06:36 Pre-game fits, everyone always comes,
06:38 does not disappoint, everyone's in their best outfit,
06:41 especially since we're in New York.
06:42 I feel like you have to come ready for the game.
06:45 The WNBA has only been around for 20 plus years,
06:49 and so it's still growing and evolving,
06:51 but I would say, especially in New York here,
06:54 at Barclays Center, we had 11,000 plus fans the other night,
06:57 and so women's sports is definitely up and coming,
06:59 but teams and players are definitely wanting to come here
07:02 because of the fan base that we have
07:04 supporting women's basketball.
07:05 Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you on the court.
07:08 Bye, and go Liberty.
07:09 (upbeat music)
07:12 you