Indianapolis, Ind. — Stephen Curry was on fire, and it was just enough to defeat Sabrina Ionescu.
And, fittingly, he won by three.
The Golden State star and NBA’s all-time 3-point champion defeated Ionescu 29-26 in the Steph vs. Sabrina battle at All-Star Saturday night, the league’s first him-versus.-her matchup.
“For us to deliver a show like that, it was perfect,” Curry went on to say. “As much excitement as you can generate in that short period of time with two outstanding shooters going at it. This is something we will cherish for a long time.”
Ionescu won the WNBA’s 3-point shootout at All-Star weekend last year with a record 37 points, breaking Curry’s NBA shootout record of 31 points. From there, a challenge was issued, and a plan was devised for them to meet over All-Star weekend.
So they did, and it seemed like the main event of the evening.
“Hopefully, this isn’t the last time we do this,” Ionescu remarked.
Given how much the fans – and everyone in the NBA and WNBA – seemed to enjoy it, it’s unlikely to be the last time, especially since Curry and Ionescu discussed adding partners to the mix next year, when All-Star weekend happens to be in San Francisco, where he plays and she lives.
Curry received a championship belt featuring images of goats – as in, GOATs – on both sides.
He is, without a doubt, the greatest shooter of all time. But Ionescu, the New York Liberty star, nearly overwhelmed him.
Sabrina Ionescu is the top women’s college basketball player, and she’s from Walnut Creek.
Ionescu went first, making 18 of 27 shots, including a 7-for-7 start. Some were worth one point, some worth two, for a total of 26 points.
She shot from the NBA 3-point line, which is often 12 to 18 inches farther away from the hoop than the WNBA line, depending on the area of the court. Ionescu used a WNBA ball, which was somewhat smaller than Curry’s NBA ball.
Curry had to rally at the end, making nine of his last ten to seal the victory.
They combined to shoot 39 for 54 (72%) in a contest featuring unusual components such as a lime-green glass floor in a football stadium with the world watching.
“This was so authentic for the both of us to be able to be here, finally not in a closed gym, shooting in front of everyone watching and understanding what it means for ourselves but also the bigger picture,” said Ionescu, who previously defeated Curry in an H-O-R-S-E competition without millions of people watching on television. “This is exactly where I wanted to be. It has altered the landscape of how people perceive what we are doing.”
There is no rivalry between the two, despite the fact that Curry heckled Ionescu during her rehearsal shooting session on Friday. He was booing her as she was shooting.
“Trying to apply some pressure, for sure,” Curry added.
In actuality, he has inspired Ionescu for more than half of her life. Ionescu’s family held season tickets to Warriors games. He gave her a high-five once while in the tunnel that connects the locker room to the court. She used a photo of him as her screensaver.
Years later, when Ionescu was shining at Oregon, she was the one who high-fived Curry’s daughters, who adored her. And on Saturday, Ionescu said the experience of simply being a part of something so unique on the All-Star stage taught her a valuable lesson.
“To just keep believing in myself,” she stated. “You know, ten years ago, I would have never imagined this was conceivable. And so being able to be up here is a blessing and an opportunity to even be in the same conversation with Steph and to see how much he respects me as a player, a basketball player, and a person for wanting to come out here and do this.”
The competition produced funds for both of their foundations, and Curry took home the belt at the end, but they were both pleased.
“I don’t know what’s going to come out of it, but me and Sabrina talked about how cool of an opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our game,” Curry said at the time. “And having her presence on this stage will do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls who want to compete and see themselves in either of us.” Wherever it goes from there, we know we can establish ourselves as doing something truly unique.”
