Sports agents often say they think of their clients like their own children. In the case of powerful NBA agent Bill Duffy and this month’s No. 1 WNBA draft pick, Sabrina Ionescu, she literally grew up in his backyard.
Duffy, who has represented stars like Yao Ming and Steve Nash and now counts Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic among his clients, raised his five children in Walnut Creek, Calif. Ionescu and her twin brother, Eddy, grew up in the same town and were in the same grade as Duffy’s middle child, Christian. Starting in the fourth or fifth grade, the three became inseparable and spent afternoons playing basketball on the half-court in Duffy’s backyard, as well as in the gym nearby.
“She was in the gym. All. The. Time,” Duffy said. “With my middle son and her twin brother, they would be in the gym until 11 at night — on a school night.
“It wasn’t just Eddy and Christian,” Duffy said. “It was Sabrina, Eddy and Christian and a couple of other kids who were all basketball nuts. She was like one of the guys.”
No. 1 WNBA pick Sabrina Ionescu predicted as a child that Bill Duffy would one day represent her.getty images
Sabrina was still in elementary school when she predicted that Duffy would one day represent her, he said. “She goes, ‘You are going to be my agent one day.’ She was just a little girl.’”
Since then, she broke records playing point guard at Oregon, including becoming the all-time NCAA leader in triple-doubles and the first NCAA Division I basketball player to record 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds. She counts NBA star players as friends and fans and is widely viewed as a generational player.
Duffy is the founder of BDA Sports and helped Lindsay Kagawa Colas, who formerly worked for him and is now a powerful WNBA player agent at Wasserman, launch her career. But Duffy never represented a WNBA player by himself until now. He got certified by the WNBA Players Association to represent Ionescu. There was never a question of him not being involved. “She’s like one of my daughters,” he said.
Duffy is acting as Ionescu’s basketball agent and adviser, and as such helped her interview three agencies for marketing and off-the-court work. She chose WME Sports, and agents Josh Pyatt, who worked with the late Kobe Bryant, and Jill Smoller, who counts Serena Williams as a client, lead the team representing Ionescu.
Ionescu has signed a deal with Nike that is reportedly the largest ever for a female basketball player. Both Duffy and Smoller said that is true, but would not provide financial details. Smoller said she is close to a headphones deal and that three beverage companies have put in strong offers, even during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone has stepped up to the plate because she is a once-in-a-generation kind of athlete,” Smoller said.
Smoller said she will also be looking to NBA sponsors as well as WNBA sponsors, and could potentially do a campaign with an iconic NBA player. “The men are just as enamored with her as an athlete as women are,” Smoller said.
Bryant was a personal friend, and Ionescu was lauded for the speech she gave at the late Laker’s memorial in February. “When you saw her go up and speak at Kobe’s memorial, you saw there she has a poise that is way beyond her years and is very articulate,” Smoller said.
“On the marketing front, it’s a no-brainer, but I think she’ll be able to do speaking engagements,” Smoller said. “Nothing is off the table.”
Duffy said Ionescu would talk with Bryant two to four times a week, but he wasn’t her only NBA player friend. “Guys like Steph [Curry] and even LeBron [James] communicate with her. I think everyone just sees she has a whole different of level of focus.”
Duffy was a high school All-American and played basketball in college and used to join in his kids’ basketball games, but a high school-age Ionescu ended his career. They collided when she was diving for a loose ball and Duffy split open his head, requiring a trip to the hospital and stitches.
“I said, ‘Oh, Sabrina, I am done,’” he said. “She’s the sweetest thing, but she’s a killer. She is a killer.”
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
