Sabrina Ionescu’s husband is Hroniss Grasu, a former NFL center who played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders. The couple share Romanian heritage and both attended the University of Oregon, although their Oregon careers did not overlap. They became publicly linked in 2021, got engaged in January 2023 and married on March 10, 2024, in Laguna Beach, California.
Introduction
Sabrina Ionescu has built her reputation as one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, but her personal life has also attracted considerable attention because she married someone with a professional sports career of his own.
Sabrina Ionescu husband Hroniss Grasu is a former NFL offensive lineman who spent nearly a decade in professional football. A center by position, Grasu was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft after a highly successful college career at Oregon.
The connection between the two athletes goes deeper than professional sports. Both are of Romanian descent, both attended the University of Oregon and both built careers at the highest level of their respective sports. Their relationship eventually led to a wedding in Laguna Beach, California, in March 2024.
Their story has become particularly interesting to fans because Ionescu and Grasu were not simply two athletes who happened to meet. They share a cultural background and an Oregon connection that predates their relationship.
What Happened?
Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu are married.
The couple got married on March 10, 2024, in Laguna Beach, California, following their engagement in January 2023. ESPN reported that the wedding brought together family and friends, including several notable names from the basketball world.
Their relationship had been publicly known since 2021, when Ionescu acknowledged Grasu on social media. Their engagement came in January 2023, when Grasu arranged a surprise proposal that Ionescu initially believed was connected to a GQ interview.
The marriage joined two professional athletes who had already established impressive careers before becoming a couple.
Ionescu was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft and became a cornerstone of the New York Liberty. Grasu, meanwhile, had entered the NFL five years earlier after being selected by Chicago.
Key Details About Hroniss Grasu
- Full name: Hroniss Grasu
- Born: August 12, 1991
- Birthplace: Northridge, California
- Position: Center
- College: University of Oregon
- NFL Draft: 2015
- Draft position: 71st overall, third round
- First NFL team: Chicago Bears
- Other NFL teams: Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders
- NFL career: Nine seasons, according to Oregon’s 2025 Hall of Fame biography
- Wife: Sabrina Ionescu
- Heritage: Romanian
- Oregon honor: Inducted into the University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
Who Is Hroniss Grasu?
Hroniss Grasu is a former professional American football center who played in the NFL from 2015 through the 2023 season.
He was born in Southern California and developed as an offensive lineman at Crespi Carmelite High School. He then played college football at Oregon, where he became one of the nation’s leading centers.
Oregon’s official biography describes him as a four-year starter and a three-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection. He helped the Ducks win the Rose Bowl twice and the Fiesta Bowl once, and he played on the Oregon team that reached the College Football Playoff National Championship.
His college career was strong enough to make him a third-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears selected Grasu with the 71st overall pick.
Hroniss Grasu’s NFL Career
Grasu entered the NFL with the Chicago Bears in 2015.
NFL’s official career statistics show that he played 33 regular-season games and started 17 during his NFL career. His playing time was spread across several teams and seasons, including the Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Chicago Bears
The Bears selected Grasu in the third round of the 2015 draft.
He started eight games as a rookie, according to NFL’s career statistics. He later returned to the Bears in 2017 and started four of six games that season.
Chicago represented the beginning of his NFL career and gave him his first opportunity to establish himself at the professional level.
Baltimore Ravens
Grasu moved to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018.
He appeared in three games and started one that season, followed by another appearance for Baltimore in 2019.
San Francisco 49ers
Grasu joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.
He appeared in nine games and made three starts that season. A 49ers team biography also highlighted his Romanian heritage and family background.
Las Vegas Raiders
Grasu later became associated with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders re-signed him in March 2023, describing him as a veteran center entering his eighth NFL season at that point. The team said he had previously played for Chicago, Baltimore and San Francisco.
He was released as part of the Raiders’ initial 53-man roster moves in August 2023, then returned to the Raiders’ practice squad in September. In December, the club elevated him to its active roster.
NFL’s official statistics list his final recorded regular-season appearances in 2023.
Oregon later summarized his professional career as nine seasons in the NFL when announcing his 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame induction.
Hroniss Grasu’s Oregon Career Was a Major Part of His Story
Before the NFL, Grasu was one of Oregon’s most accomplished offensive linemen.
He played for the Ducks from 2010 through 2014 and became a four-year starter at center. Oregon’s official records credit him with helping the team achieve a 48-7 record during his career.
His individual honors included:
- First-team All-America recognition
- Three first-team All-Pac-12 selections
- Two-time Rimington Trophy finalist
- Two Rose Bowl victories
- One Fiesta Bowl victory
- Appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship
The University of Oregon inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
That recognition is significant when discussing Sabrina Ionescu husband Hroniss Grasu, because Oregon is also where Ionescu established herself as one of the greatest players in women’s college basketball.
Did Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu Attend Oregon at the Same Time?
They both attended the University of Oregon, but their playing careers did not overlap.
Grasu’s final Oregon football season was 2014. He entered the NFL Draft in 2015.
Ionescu arrived at Oregon for the 2016 women’s basketball season.
That means Grasu had already left Oregon and entered professional football before Ionescu began her college career there. ESPN and Sporting News both note this timeline.
This is an important distinction because their Oregon connection is sometimes misunderstood.
They did not become a couple while competing together at Oregon.
Instead, they shared an important university connection that existed before their relationship became public.
When Did Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu Start Dating?
The exact beginning of their relationship has not been publicly established in a detailed timeline.
The couple became publicly known as a pair in 2021. Sporting News reported that Ionescu first publicly posted about Grasu in August 2021 in connection with his birthday.
The couple generally kept their relationship relatively private.
That changed more publicly when they announced their engagement in January 2023.
Their engagement was notable because Grasu planned a surprise proposal. Ionescu reportedly thought she was participating in an interview or photo shoot when Grasu turned the occasion into a marriage proposal.
When Did Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu Get Married?
The couple married on March 10, 2024, in Laguna Beach, California.
The wedding came approximately 14 months after their engagement.
ESPN reported that several prominent sports figures attended the ceremony, including former NBA star Pau Gasol, Vanessa Bryant, Natalia Bryant and WNBA player Satou Sabally.
People also reported that relatives from Romania attended the wedding. Ionescu later described the celebration as a special opportunity to spend time with family during the offseason.
The timing was particularly meaningful because both athletes have demanding professional schedules.
Ionescu was preparing for another WNBA season and later represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Grasu’s professional football career was entering a different stage.
Hroniss Grasu’s Romanian Roots
One of the strongest connections between the couple is their Romanian heritage.
Grasu was born in California, but his parents, Stefan and Mariana Grasu, emigrated from Romania to Los Angeles in 1982.
A San Francisco 49ers biography states that his parents opened Greco’s New York Pizza on Hollywood Boulevard after arriving in Los Angeles. The same team biography noted that Grasu’s maternal relatives continued to live in Romania.
The University of Oregon also identifies his parents as Steve and Mariana Grasu in its official football records.
That Romanian background gives Grasu something important in common with Ionescu.
Ionescu was born in California to Romanian parents, Dan Ionescu and Liliana Blaj, and has spoken publicly about the sacrifices her family made after immigrating from Romania.
As a result, both athletes grew up in Romanian-American families in California.
Why the Romanian Connection Is Significant
The shared heritage is more than an interesting coincidence.
Both Ionescu and Grasu grew up in California while maintaining connections to their parents’ homeland. Their families’ immigration experiences were also part of the stories surrounding their respective childhoods.
Ionescu has spoken about the sacrifices her parents made after leaving Romania and establishing themselves in Northern California.
Grasu’s family likewise built a life in Los Angeles after emigrating from Romania.
Their marriage therefore brought together two athletes whose families had independently followed similar immigration paths from Romania to California.
That shared cultural background was also visible at their wedding, where family members traveled from Romania to attend the celebration.
What Has Sabrina Ionescu Said About Being Married?
Ionescu has occasionally discussed married life while talking about her offseason.
In an interview with People following the wedding, she described marrying Grasu as a highlight of her offseason and joked that she was still getting used to calling him her husband. She also discussed the importance of having family members from Romania at the wedding.
Her comments suggest that the wedding was particularly meaningful because it created a rare opportunity for extended family to gather.
For two athletes with demanding schedules, those periods of family time are limited.
What Makes Their Relationship Unusual?
Ionescu and Grasu represent a relatively unusual professional-sports pairing.
Both reached elite levels in different sports.
Ionescu became a top WNBA player after starring at Oregon, while Grasu reached the NFL after establishing himself as one of college football’s top centers.
They also share:
- Romanian heritage
- California roots
- University of Oregon connections
- Professional sports careers
- Experience competing at an elite level
- Families with strong immigrant backgrounds
Their careers, however, followed different paths.
Ionescu became a No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick in 2020, while Grasu was a third-round NFL selection in 2015.
What Officials and Organizations Said
Official sports records provide much of the clearest information about Grasu’s football career.
The University of Oregon describes him as a four-year starter and 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. The school credits him with helping the Ducks win three major bowl games during his career and reaching the national championship.
The NFL’s official statistics record 33 regular-season games and 17 starts during his career.
The Las Vegas Raiders documented his signing, re-signing, practice-squad moves and appearances during his time with the organization.
ESPN confirmed the couple’s March 2024 wedding and documented their Oregon connection, engagement and relationship timeline.
Why This Matters
The interest in Sabrina Ionescu husband is not simply celebrity curiosity.
Grasu has his own substantial sports résumé.
He was an accomplished college football player, a third-round NFL draft pick and a nine-season NFL veteran. His 2025 induction into the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame further recognized the importance of his college career.
At the same time, his marriage to Ionescu creates a connection between two different branches of professional sports.
Ionescu’s career is centered on basketball and the WNBA, while Grasu’s career was built around football and the NFL.
Their shared Romanian heritage adds another layer to the story.
Both athletes were born in California but grew up with strong Romanian family connections. Their parents’ immigrant experiences helped shape the backgrounds from which they entered American professional sports.
What Happens Next?
The confirmed part of the story is that Ionescu and Grasu are married and continue to maintain largely private personal lives while remaining connected to professional sports.
Grasu’s active NFL status should be described carefully. NFL’s official statistical record lists his last regular-season appearances in 2023, while Oregon’s 2025 Hall of Fame biography describes him as having completed a nine-season NFL career.
Therefore, he should not automatically be described as a current NFL player simply because of his past association with the Raiders.
Ionescu, meanwhile, continues to be a prominent figure in professional basketball.
For now, the most important confirmed developments in their personal story remain their 2023 engagement, 2024 marriage and shared connection to Romanian-American heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sabrina Ionescu’s husband?
Sabrina Ionescu’s husband is Hroniss Grasu, a former NFL center who played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders. He also had a highly successful college career at Oregon.
When did Sabrina Ionescu marry Hroniss Grasu?
Ionescu and Grasu married on March 10, 2024, in Laguna Beach, California. They had become engaged in January 2023.
Is Hroniss Grasu still in the NFL?
Grasu’s last recorded NFL regular-season appearances were with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. Oregon’s 2025 Hall of Fame biography describes him as having played nine seasons in the NFL. He should therefore be described as a former NFL player rather than automatically as a current active NFL player.
What NFL teams did Hroniss Grasu play for?
Grasu played for the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders during his NFL career. NFL’s official statistics document his appearances across those teams.
Are Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu both Romanian?
Yes. Both have Romanian heritage. Ionescu’s parents immigrated from Romania, while Grasu’s parents, Stefan and Mariana Grasu, emigrated from Romania to Los Angeles in 1982.
Did Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu attend the same college?
Yes. Both attended the University of Oregon, but they did not play there at the same time. Grasu’s final Oregon season was 2014, while Ionescu arrived in 2016.
When did Sabrina Ionescu and Hroniss Grasu start dating?
The couple’s exact private dating start has not been publicly established. They became publicly known as a couple in 2021, when Ionescu posted about Grasu on social media.
How good was Hroniss Grasu at Oregon?
Grasu was one of Oregon’s most accomplished offensive linemen. He was a four-year starter, earned three first-team All-Pac-12 selections and multiple All-America honors, helped Oregon win the Rose Bowl twice and was a two-time Rimington Trophy finalist. Oregon inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2025.
Where was Hroniss Grasu born?
Hroniss Grasu was born in California and attended Crespi Carmelite High School before playing college football at Oregon. Oregon lists his hometown as Los Angeles, California.