Sabrina Ionescu in the 3pt Contest

By Emily Cheigh

On Saturday, February 17th, Stephen Curry won the first-ever WNBA vs. NBA 3-point contest against New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu. 35-year-old Golden State point guard Steph Curry and 2-time 3-point contest winner faced off against first-overall draft pick from 2020, Sabrina Ionescu. With an intense and entertaining battle, Curry emerged victorious with 29-26.
Ionescu had a particularly strong start, sinking 7 straight threes and tying the NBA record for highest 3-point contest score with an impressive 26.
Clearly rattled, Curry conceded that he “saw the first rack” and was “having flashbacks to watching her this past summer”. Last summer, Curry was watching as Ionescu sank 25 of her 26 threes in the WNBA 3-point contest. Despite being overwhelmed by the immense pressure, Curry delivered a spectacular score of 29, but it came down to the last rack.

This contest was a spectacular show of both players’ abilities and a beacon of inspiration for young girls and boys around the world.

In a post-contest interview, both participants expressed their gratitude towards each other and the opportunity to partake in such an event. This contest was actually their own idea, as Curry complimented Ionescu on social media after the WNBA 3-point contest last summer, and she responded by challenging him.

The sheer amount of respect from both parties has been equally impressive. On Saturday, Curry expressed his sentiment that 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.” Ionescu returned this kindness, and expressed gratitude towards the respect she’s “been able to receive from a lot of the NBA guys”. Curry displayed great shows of respect, particularly by treating her like a real competitor. The day before, he went to her practice session and booed her, trying to get in her head. He conceded that he was “trying to apply some pressure, for sure”.
Another wildly impressive detail about Sabrina’s performance was that she shot from the NBA 3-point line, which is over a foot greater than the WNBA 3-point line. To “push boundaries and equal the playing field”, Ionescu truly went above and beyond and certainly delivered.

Both Ionescu and Curry’s displays of respect, sportsmanship, and talent served as a source of inspiration for everyone, and hopefully, they will run it back next year.