Sabrina Ionescu was at the arena in Los Angeles, taken aback by what she saw.

Among the crowd was Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and her teammates. They had come to see Ionescu and her Oregon team compete against USC.

This was early in 2019, and Ionescu was already the Pac-12 player of the year and a first-team All-American. Yet, the thrill of meeting your heroes stays with you, regardless of your achievements.

Reflecting on this moment a year later, after the tragic loss of Bryant and Gianna in a helicopter accident, Ionescu expressed, “I grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant, celebrating his greatness. I aspired to be just like him.”

Meanwhile, over 1,400 miles away in Bison, South Dakota (population: 302), Cora Besler echoed similar sentiments in her entry for a contest that offered a chance to meet Ionescu, now thriving as a star guard for the New York Liberty.

“I aimed to secure a varsity spot in eighth grade,” 14-year-old Besler shared in her winning submission. “I realized I had to put in extra effort to achieve it, and I started looking to the WNBA for inspiration. After just one Liberty game, I was a massive fan of Sabrina.”

When Cora was shooting hoops with a basket of balls at the National Basketball Players Association training facility in New York, she heard a familiar voice.

“Need a rebounder?” Ionescu greeted her, dressed in practice gear.

A moment of disbelief hit. Besler couldn’t believe her eyes.

“She hugged me at least five times,” Besler recalled, still in awe. “I can’t get over it.”

Ionescu and A’ja Wilson, the WNBA MVP from Las Vegas, recently teamed up with AT&T for a content series called Beyond The Bleachers, which focuses on mentorship. Besler and Addyson Stockton, from Springfield, Oregon, won personalized sessions with one of the players ahead of the WNBA playoffs.

Besler and Stockton’s joyful reactions upon meeting Ionescu, as well as how their mentors responded, illustrate the significant influence a mentor can have on young athletes.

YSL News Sports talked with Besler about her time with Ionescu to uncover valuable lessons for aspiring athletes. As Wilson and Stockton discovered in their time together in Las Vegas, mentorship is essential for achieving our dreams.

A mentor doesn’t have to be a celebrity; it can be anyone—a teammate, coach, or friend—who offers encouragement.

“I wasn’t great at basketball. I was just starting out and disliked sweating,” Wilson admits to Stockton during their episode. Her mentee giggles.

“So remember, your first year will be challenging, but if you’re passionate and have goals, don’t let anyone discourage you.”

‘Train like you play’: Finding a love for sports begins at home

It all started with a hoop above the garage. When Cora Besler was five, she spotted it at her uncle’s house and asked her mom for a basketball.

Experiences in sports often begin with simple gestures from family members. For Cora, it was her dad, Will, who gifted her a small rubber ball to ease her into the game.

Cora recalls practicing with her dad’s gentle guidance nearly every day until she finally made her first basket. Like Ionescu, she was hooked.

“How did you reach your current level of success?” Cora asked Ionescu during their session.

“You have to practice as if you’re actually playing,” Ionescu advised. “Bringing the same intensity and competitiveness to practice helps prepare you for real games.”

When they were younger, Sabrina and her brother Eddy watched their older brother, Andrei, shooting hoops at their house in Walnut Creek, California.

“We tried to imitate everything he did,” Ionescu reminisced to TNT’s Ernie Johnson in 2020.

Sabrina and Eddy, just 18 minutes apart in age (with Sabrina being the elder), nurtured a fierce competitive spirit between them.

“He didn’t go easy on me just because I was a girl or smaller,” Ionescu shared with ESPN’s Maria Taylor while playing for Oregon. “He did everything he could to win, and so did I.”

In that environment, they grew incredibly close. During summers, they would compete in pickup games at their local park against men on lunch breaks. The men often underestimated Sabrina’s skills, which led to some friendly challenges for Slurpee money.

“When the game started, I’d start sinking free throws and hitting threes,” Ionescu recounted for Johnson. “That’s how we managed to earn enough to buy treats at 7-Eleven.”

Stay committed to your ambitions. Mentors and role models can inspire you to think big.

Back in those days, the Golden State Warriors were not performing well. During Stephen Curry’s initial three seasons, starting in 2009-10, the team posted an average record of 28-48. Ionescu remembers courtside tickets costing around $200.

She had courtside seats and, when she was about 10, she remembers leaning against a railing

Her excitement when attempting to high-five Curry and the joy she felt when he actually touched her hand was unforgettable. This same young girl would eventually find herself facing him in a 3-point contest at an NBA All-Star Game.

Curry has always been her favorite, and you can see that influence in Ionescu’s style of play.

“She appeared fearless and confident when competing against a male athlete,” says Cora Besler.

Watching Ionescu inspired Besler to dream bigger. The night prior to seeing the “Beyond The Bleachers” ad, she even dreamt of meeting Ionescu.

“The dream felt so vivid that I had to get up and check if my jersey was signed,” she recalls.

During their encounter, Besler discovered that reaching your aspirations is often a result of hard work. The top players, like Ionescu and Curry—who stands at 6-2 but plays with confidence among taller opponents—are known for their relentless dedication.

Curry’s exceptional 3-point shooting, similar to Caitlin Clark’s, is the result of countless hours of practice. Ionescu, too, consistently hones her footwork, as she shared with Besler, to maximize her options for passing and scoring.

This repetitive practice builds her confidence.

“She can dominate any place she goes, almost as if she controls the game,” Besler mentions.

Chase Your Dreams with Determination

According to Besler, the most valuable lesson her parents taught her regarding sports is that she plays her best when she enjoys herself.

Fully engaging in sports without the fear of her parents discouraging her if she fails has paved her way to success.

“My dad often tells me, if you desire something, you need to earn it,” says Besler.

Growing up in a small town, Besler frequently found herself facing older competitors. By seventh grade, she had made the varsity basketball team at Bison High, and that year, she even qualified for the South Dakota state track meet in the 100-meter dash.

“I believe that moment was your ‘Aha’ moment,” Will Besler noted to his daughter during our discussion. “It was clear to her that while sports were enjoyable, she really wanted to excel at them. It fueled her motivation for more.”

“That has boosted my confidence, so on the court, I leverage my speed,” she comments. “Volleyball and track serve as an outlet for my competitive spirit. I tend to be excessively competitive, turning everything into a match.”

Be Kind to Yourself: It’s Okay to Struggle and Develop at Your Own Pace

“If I could sit 16-year-old A’ja right here,” Wilson shares in her episode of ‘Beyond The Bleachers,’ “I’d say, ‘Sweetheart, give yourself some grace.’ It’s perfectly fine. You’ll grow into yourself. Just be patient with yourself.”

Stockton, her mentee, found that Wilson’s experience mirrored her own journey, as they both began playing basketball later than most.

“I was a late starter, so my dreams were relatively modest,” Wilson explains. “I was simply trying to get through school. But everything changed when I realized I was actually good at basketball.”

“Hearing that definitely reassures me,” Stockton remarks.

Having someone who can empathize with you can significantly impact our lives, whether in sports or otherwise.

After meeting Bryant, Ionescu faced increasing pressure as her reputation in college basketball soared. However, communicating with Bryant, who became a supportive texting friend, helped alleviate that stress.

“Just be yourself; that’s always been enough, and it will continue to be,” he advised her.

“He didn’t just drop in and vanish,” she shared during her tribute at his memorial. “He remained in contact. We texted, chatted, and he came to my games. I’d have a triple-double and get a text: ‘I see another triple-double!’ complete with a flex emoji. After another game, a message saying, ‘Yo, Beast Mode,’ or ‘Easy money.’”

Focus on Your Path: Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

Besler’s biggest lesson from her time spent with Ionescu is the importance of patience in her development. She understands that accomplishments don’t occur overnight; nothing in life does.

While waiting, it’s essential to concentrate on your own progress rather than comparing yourself to others.

“In the past, I compared myself to so many other athletes,” Besler admits. “Listening to her say, ‘Don’t compare yourself to others’ made me reconsider my approach. What matters is not what everyone else is achieving, but what steps I’m taking to improve.”

The entire experience felt almost surreal for Besler. The girl from a small South Dakota town stood atop the Empire State Building. She was seated just behind the scorer’s table while watching Ionescu and the Liberty play, observing how impressively tall the players appeared.

Her time with Ionescu, which she estimates at about an hour, left her starstruck. Words eluded her as she struggled to express her feelings. Nonetheless, the experience has further ignited her ambition to pursue her goals, aiming to become the first Division I basketball player from her hometown.

“I feel confident that if I shared my dreams with Sabrina, she would fully support me,” she expresses.

She looks forward to watching Sunday’s Game 2 and the remainder of the WNBA Finals between the Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, inspired by a life-changing experience. Mentors, in whatever form, can make a profound impact.

“I’d probably tell her that I want to be like her,” Besler reflects on what she would say to Ionescu if they crossed paths again. “I might ask her how she got noticed by colleges and what the experience of being in the Olympics was like, as I aspire to experience that too.

“And I dream of attending Oregon one day to break her records,” she concludes.