Stephen Curry is returning for the weekend of the NBA All-Stars. He’ll be greeted by Sabrina Ionescu.
The NBA said on Tuesday that the shootout they both desired is now a reality. On February 17, “Stephen vs. Sabrina” will take place in Indianapolis as part of All-Star Saturday Night. Ionescu holds the single-season record and is the current WNBA 3-point shootout queen. Curry, the NBA’s all-time 3-point king, will face her.
“The scene is ready! Curry wrote on social media, “Let’s get it.”
Ionescu only said, “Let’s go!” in response.
It took months to prepare for this matchup. In Thursday night’s Golden State game against Sacramento, Curry was equipped with a microphone. He spoke with Brandin Podziemski, a colleague from the Warriors, regarding Ionescu, who had an almost flawless 37 points in the WNBA’s 3-point competition from the previous summer. Curry’s NBA 3-point contest mark of 31 was surpassed by that.
“I believe I must confront her,” Curry said to Podziemski.
Ionescu retorted on social media, saying, “Let’s get it done! See you at the 3-point mark. Actually, Ionescu started the challenge when she suggested a battle and took a picture during the WNBA All-Star event, mimicking Curry’s well-known lights-out expression while holding her trophy.
The NBA was more than willing to facilitate it.
Curry will use NBA basketballs to shoot from the 3-point line, while Ionescu will use WNBA basketballs to shoot from the same line. Bragging rights and a sizable payment to Curry’s NGO Eat.Learn.Play. and Ionescu’s SI20 Foundation are up for grabs as a result of participation from the NBA and WNBA. Each time they make a 3-pointer, the NBA Foundation will receive a donation from State Farm of $1,000 for standard 3-pointers, $2,000 for money-ball 3-pointers, and $3,000 for deeper 3-pointers from over 30 feet, the league announced.
Curry, whose record of 402 points came in the 2015–16 season, owns four of the five highest single-season 3-point totals in NBA history. Ionescu shot about 45% from long range last season, which led the WNBA with 128 3-pointers.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr remarked, “I’m picturing a Bobby Riggs versus Billie Jean King from 1973, so maybe it’s the modern-day battle of the sexes.” “Those two are close, I know it. Since Sabrina is from the Bay, everyone adores and cheers for her when we see her at our games. Thus, it will be entertaining to see them shoot at one other.
ASCENDING STARS
Victor Wembanyama will be attending his first All-Star weekend, which is not surprising.
One of the 28 players selected for the Rising Stars games, which will take place on Friday of All-Star weekend on February 16, is the San Antonio rookie who was selected with the first overall choice in the NBA draft last year.
Second choice Wembanyama is one of the rookies chosen for the games, along with Brandon Miller of Charlotte and Portland’s Scoot Henderson, who is ranked third. The format is a mini-tournament with seven-player rosters and a championship game following two semifinals. Henderson was selected twice while playing for the G League Ignite in 2022 and 2023, and he is now in the competition for the third time.
Along with Oklahoma City teammates Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace, players Bilal Coulibaly of Washington, Keyonte George of Utah, Jordan Hawkins of New Orleans, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of Miami, Dereck Lively II of Dallas, and Podziemski of Golden State were also selected from the rookie class.
Paolo Banchero of Orlando, Dyson Daniels of New Orleans, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey of Detroit, Walker Kessler of Utah, Bennedict Mathurin of Indiana, Keegan Murray of Sacramento, Shaedon Sharpe of Portland, Jabari Smith Jr. of Houston, and Jalen Williams of Oklahoma City are among the members of the second-year class.
Mac McClung, the reigning slam dunk champion, Ron Holland, Tyler Smith, Oscar Tshiebwe, Alondes Williams, and Izan Almansa were the other seven G League players selected for the competition.