NBA All-Star Weekend will feature an interesting 3-Point Challenge between Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry.
The NBA made an interesting announcement on Tuesday, Jan. 30, revealing a head-to-head 3-point shooting showdown between the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry during NBA All-Star Weekend.
The first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge will occur on Saturday, Feb. 17, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during State Farm All-Star Saturday Night.
STEPHEN vs. SABRINA
Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu will go head-to-head in the first NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge during #StateFarmSaturday on TNT at #NBAAllStar 2024! pic.twitter.com/GuPobiw3t8
— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2024
Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play nonprofit and Ionescu’s SI20 Foundation will receive a donation from the NBA and WNBA as part of the competition.
Ionescu is one of the best shooters in the WNBA, as we discussed during her red-hot month of August last season when she shot 46.9 percent from deep. She just had a career-year from beyond the arc, shooting 44.8 percent from 3. She also had the greatest 3-point shooting display at July’s WNBA All-Star Weekend, when she scored 37 points in the final round to be crowned the 3-Point Contest champion.
Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i20) just set the all-time record for NBA or WNBA with a score of 37 PTS in the FINAL ROUND of the #Starry3PT Contest to be crowned the NEW 3-PT CHAMPION | @starrylemonlime pic.twitter.com/YcGy3fDfBq
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 14, 2023
Curry also is elite from deep, averaging 40.9 percent from beyond the arc this season. He’s already won the NBA’s 3-Point Contest twice, back in 2015 and 2021. Curry hint at this competition recently, and now it’s becoming a reality.
Steph Curry: “Do you know who holds the record for the most points in a 3-point competition?”
Brandin Podziemski: “Sabrina [Ionescu]?”
Steph: “Ooooooh! … We got to settle this once and for all. I think I got to challenge her. It’d be lit.” pic.twitter.com/BkWkvmtOiU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 26, 2024
This competition will follow standard STARRY 3-Point Contest rules. Curry will shoot from the NBA 3-point line with NBA basketballs, while Ionescu will shoot from the WNBA 3-point line with WNBA basketballs. Although, Ionescu has mentioned on X/Twitter that she’s willing to shoot from the NBA 3-point line.
This is a fun mashup of the two leagues that we haven’t seen in a while. There used to be some skill challenge collaborations at NBA All-Star Weekend, but this one celebrates both players and brings the leagues together in an authentic, competitive and fun way. Hopefully, Ionescu has stayed in the gym working on her jumper, as she’s currently in her offseason while Curry is deep into NBA action.
If you want to watch this showdown, tune in to TNT on Feb. 17. This competition will air after the STARRY 3-Point Contest and before the AT&T Slam Dunk competition. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET.
