During the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend, Sabrina Ionescu won the 3-point contest and shattered the record held by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry by amassing 37 points. This set the stage for a head-to-head contest between Ionescu and Curry at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
This contest proved one of the highlights of All-Star Weekend. While Ionescu finished with 26 points, Curry won with a solid 29 points. However, the competition was about much more than whomever won. It was about appreciating talented players, despite their gender or league.
Shooters can shoot. Period.
It was reminiscent of the Battle of the Sexes between tennis legends Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. More than 30,000 people were in attendance at the match, which King won in straight sets — 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 — and took home the $100,000 prize money. But, much like the 3-point contest, the real prize was what it meant for women’s sports and the fight for equality, equity and inclusion.
“I don’t know what’s going to come out of it, but me and Sabrina talked about how cool of an opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our game,” Curry said. “And for her to have a presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either one of us. Wherever it goes from there, we know we can kind of plant our flag as doing something really special.”
"I think a night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that, if you can shoot, you can shoot." 🗣️@sabrina_i20's message after putting on a show against Steph 👏 pic.twitter.com/t9KGUzAY5S
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 18, 2024
The viewership for NBA All-Star Saturday night was the highest in four years, with an audience peak at 5.4 million viewers from 10-10:15 p.m. ET during the 3-point contest.
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