Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner’s menacing gesture as USA defeats Belgium bowls over WNBA fans

LOS ANEGELS, CALIFORNIA: On Thursday, August 1, afternoon, New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu and Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner showcased their skills as Team USA women's basketball team triumphed over Belgium with a score of 87-74 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This victory puts Team USA at a perfect 2-0 in their Olympic campaign.

Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner help Team USA defeat Team Belgium

Both Sabrina Ionescu and Brittney Griner made notable contributions off the bench for the team.

Ionescu scored six points with a 2-of-5 shooting performance, along with five assists and three rebounds. Griner added seven points and three rebounds to the tally.

The game saw a memorable moment with just four seconds remaining on the clock. Ionescu, with the game well in hand for Team USA, took a long three-point shot and successfully made it, pushing the USA lead to 13 points.

Following this shot, Ionescu turned to the crowd and gave a shush hand gesture, effectively quieting the Belgian supporters who had been vocally cheering for their team.

 

Sabrina Ionescu's shush gesture silences enthusiastic Belgian fans

As Belgium is France's neighbouring country, a large number of Belgium fans had come to cheer on their team in the match against USA. The Belgium fans were loud in support of their team. But Sabrina Ionescu silenced them after her final play.

Her gesture was particularly impactful given the crowd was predominantly made up of Belgian fans. Her taunting gesture served as a fitting capstone to her performance.

Upon her return to the bench, both Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi rejoiced in the moment, beaming with delight and mimicking the same shush gesture.

Ionescu, competing in her first Olympics, previously earned gold at the 2022 World Cup in Australia with Team USA. Griner, on the other hand, is in her third Olympic Games, having won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She also secured a WNBA championship alongside Taurasi in 2014.

Internet celebrates Sabrina Ionescu's shush gesture and Team USA's victory

Sabrina Ionescu's gesture during the game quickly caught the attention of WNBA fans, who took to social media to express their admiration.

One user wrote,"As you should Ionescu!!! Sabrina quieting the crowd!"

 Another user added, "Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner were so happy after Sabrina Ionescu shushed the crowd."

One said,  "Sabrina Ionescu tells the crowd to (shush)."

Another added, "I'm framing this photo."

One user commented, ""U.S.Slay."

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