Sabrina Ionescu against Steph Curry in a never-before-seen 3-point competition saved Saturday’s All-Star events and Ionescu is already dropping hints about a new format for next year’s contest.
Curry emerged as the winner of the 3-point contest against Sabrina, but she didn’t go down without a fight.
She went first in the single round competition and scored as much as Damian Lillard (26) in the NBA 3-point contest – all from the NBA three-point line instead of the WNBA line.
Not to be outdone, the league’s greatest three-point shooter rallied and scored 29 to beat Sabrina.
“We all know Steph is the greatest shooter ever in the way he shoots the basketball, but he’s also probably the most gracious superstar ever that we’ve seen in our league,” Former NBA player Isiah Thomas said on NBA TV after the epic battle. “Most superstars today, they’re not stepping out like this. They’re saying, ‘I don’t want to take the risk of probably losing.’ He’s so gracious, he’s saying even if I lose, it’s a win because it makes the game better. That’s the beauty of Steph.”
The competition was a hit and Sabrina is already talking about new ways to mix the format up next year when the 2025 All-Star weekend comes to The Bay.
“We’ve been talking about different ways to change this up next year,” Ionescu said at the press conference following the contest. “I think he has a partner in mind that’s gonna join him. I’m open to any partner that can help me win and take that belt that he has.”
Some potential partners for Steph team up with could be his fellow splash brother Klay Thompson, or even the back-to-back 3-point champion Lillard.
Meanwhile, Sabrina could make a partnership of her own, with some fans suggesting she should team up with the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history, Caitlin Clark.
Whatever Steph and Sabrina decide to do next year, it will definitely bring some much needed hype and excitement to the All-Star Saturday slate.
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