Passing, cutting, team tactics, individual brilliance, out-of-possession defensive formations. Soccer and basketball can have a lot in common.

Sabrina Ionescu is one of them.

Most will recognize Ionescu as one of WNBA’s biggest stars. A WNBA champion, four-time league All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and World Cup gold medalist, among many other accolades, the 28-year-old has close ties to another sport, too.

Ionescu is partnering with Spanish giant Real Madrid and global health leader Abbott to grow soccer in the U.S., with the 2026 FIFA World Cup also on the horizon.

The Abbott Dream Team program is hosting tryouts in the U.S. this May through June in search of the next crop of stars while promoting the value of nutrition for athletes of all ages. The program will have locations in Miami, Washington, D.C., Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Chicago, where men’s and women’s players from ages 18-19 can showcase their talent in front of Madrid coaches.

There are 16 spots up for grabs for a chance to train under Real Madrid coaches in Spain for players aged 18-19. Team members will be selected based on demonstration of skill, values and determination — both on and off the pitch.  

Ionescu provided tips on how to stand out.

“I would say to just be you,” Ionescu told NBCU Local. “I think obviously anytime there’s this like try out, everyone always is nervous. I mean, every athlete has gone through so many different types of tryouts in their life and obviously there’s nerves and you know, you want to go out there and do your best, but the best is always going to be good enough.

“…You can always learn something in any situation, whether you’re able to go out and make the team or you’re just there to be able to try your best and learn from people who are really educated in the space.”

For anyone not familiar with Ionescu’s soccer background, it stems from her parents’ Romanian background, as well as her childhood.

“I come from a European household, so soccer was obviously always the number one sport that was on the TV,” Ionescu said. “My dad, huge soccer fan still to this day. And then now, obviously, I played soccer when I was younger and just understood the importance of how soccer can just help you in your everyday life and as an athlete.

“And I would say it’s helped me become a better basketball player. Like just understanding passing angles and the fitness that you have to have to play soccer is like none other.”

A Walnut Creek, Calif., native, Ionescu deepened her bond with soccer by investing in NWSL side Bay FC last March. Having played the sport growing up, Ionescu understood how many other kids start at a young age and thought it was a “no brainer” to invest.

“Being from the Bay Area, obviously it was kind of a no brainer, understanding that there’s obviously a huge appetite in the Bay Area for a professional sports team and being able to kind of be an investor in Bay FC and understanding there’s going to be so many young girls and boys that are able to go to their games and dream of becoming a professional soccer player because they’re able to watch and understand the work that they put in and how they can go out there and compete and do their best,” she said.”

With her WNBA team, the New York Liberty, it’s been a slightly different situation amid the league’s collective bargaining agreement case. The new CBA is still undergoing negotiations. The longer it takes, the more risk of the 2026 season being delayed.

It’s a rare and delicate process, and Ionescu provided some insight on how she’s preparing for the new campaign both physically and mentally.

“I’d say it hasn’t really changed how I’ve prepared for the season,” Ionescu said. “My training, mentally or physically, like, everything’s kind of stayed the same as it always has. I mean, I’ll be ready whenever the season, you know, is ready to start. The nice part is just it’s kind of in business as usual in the way that I’m preparing for the start of the season.”

After helping the Liberty win their first ever league championship in 2024, Ionescu is entering her seventh season with one major goal in mind after falling short of a repeat bid in 2025.

“Just being able to win another championship in New York,” Ionescu said. “That’s obviously always been the goal and, you know, kind of being able to have done it already and understanding what it took to win, I’d say that’s what’s fueling me and us as a collective to want to do that again this year.”

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