Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry will battle head-to-head in a three-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Steph Curry wants revenge.
After Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu broke his three-point contest points record with her unbelievable performance in 2023, it seems the two sharpshooters will go head-to-head in a three-point contest next month during NBA All-Star weekend.
For some context, in 2023, Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty set the record for most points in a three-point contest — across the WNBA and NBA. She scored 37 out of 40 possible points, missing only two shots along the way. Curry holds the NBA record with 31 out of 40 points.
The upcoming contest was announced Thursday evening, after Curry dropped some hints while mic’d up before the Warriors vs. Kings game.
While mic’d up before the game, Curry quizzed Warriors teammate Brandin Podziemski on who holds the record for most points in a three-point contest (Podziemski passed the test). Curry then said, “I think I got to bring out… we’ve got to settle this once and for all.”
Ionescu responded on Twitter, saying this:
Both players should be at the top of their shooting game for this matchup. Curry is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc in the 2023-24 season, an elite figure. If he holds that pace through 82 games, it will be his 13th season with a three-point percentage greater than 40. Ionescu had an amazing year in 2023, shooting 44.8% from downtown, the highest mark of her career and an increase of 11% from 2022.
After Sabrina’s spectacular performance in the 2023 WNBA three-point contest, a lot of people pushed back on the legitimacy of her record. They argued that since the WNBA ball is smaller than the NBA ball, and the WNBA three-point line is closer to the basket, Ionescu’s claim to the inter-league record was invalid. Whether or not Sabrina is the true record holder for three-point contest points is for you to decide, but what better way for Ionescu to prove her skill than a head-to-head matchup with the greatest shooter the NBA has ever seen?
This competition will be historic, as it is the first-ever competitive event between the WNBA and NBA. The NHL did something similar in 2017 when Kendall Coyne Schofield became the first woman to participate in an NHL All-Star Skills competition. Since then, premier female hockey players have continued to participate in the NHL’s All-Star events, which has helped grow the market for women’s hockey in North America.
This matchup could go either way, and the nature of basketball is that some shots just don’t fall, while others find a way to go down. There’s only so much you can control. But whoever you’re rooting for, this, will be must-see TV.
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