Stephen Curry is headed back to NBA All-Star weekend. Sabrina Ionescu will be waiting for him.
The shootout that both of them wanted is officially a reality, the NBA announced Tuesday. “Stephen vs. Sabrina” will happen as part of All-Star Saturday Night in Indianapolis on Feb. 17. Curry, the NBA’s all-time 3-point king, will take on the reigning WNBA 3-point shootout queen and single-season record holder Ionescu.
“Stage is set! Let's get it," Curry posted on social media.
Ionescu responded simply: “Let's go!”
This matchup was months in the making. Curry was wired with a microphone for Golden State’s game last Thursday night against Sacramento and had a discussion with Warriors teammate Brandin Podziemski about Ionescu, who scored an almost-perfect 37 points in the WNBA’s 3-point contest last summer. That topped Curry’s NBA 3-point contest best of 31.
“I think I’ve got to challenge her,” Curry told Podziemski.
Ionescu responded on social media: “Let’s getttttt it!! See ya at the 3 pt line.” In fact, she technically initiated the challenge: Ionescu posed for a photo imitating Curry’s famous lights-out pose while holding her trophy at the WNBA All-Star event and raised the possibility of a matchup happening.
The NBA was more than happy to make it happen.
Curry will shoot from the NBA 3-point line with NBA basketballs, and Ionescu will shoot from the WNBA 3-point line with WNBA basketballs. At stake: bragging rights and a lot of cash for charity — Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play. nonprofit and Ionescu’s SI20 Foundation will receive a donation from the NBA and WNBA for participating. Every shot they make — $1,000 for regular 3s, $2,000 for money-ball 3s and $3,000 for deeper 3s from nearly 30 feet — will bring a donation from State Farm to the NBA Foundation “to support economic empowerment in the Black community,” the league said.
Curry has four of the five highest single-season 3-point make totals in NBA history, with his record of 402 coming in the 2015-16 season. Ionescu led the WNBA with 128 made 3s last season, while shooting nearly 45% from distance.
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