NBA All-Star: Stephen Curry wins unprecedented 3-point shootout against Sabrina Ionescu

The novel 3-point contest between Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu was a thriller. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu might have signed up for a win-win situation when they agreed to go head-to-head in an unprecedented 3-point shootout, but someone had to lose.

Curry made sure he came out with the victory on All-Star Saturday night, scoring 29 points.

Ionescu, 26, didn’t want to shoot from the women’s 3-point line of 20 feet, six inches. Instead, she leveled the playing field and stuck to the NBA line from 23 feet, nine inches out.

Fans were allowed to vote on who would shoot first, which resulted in Ionescu starting with the ball. With five racks of five balls placed at different points around the 3-point line, she got hot early. Four of the racks had four standard balls worth one point, and one “money ball” worth two points. The fifth rack was filled with solely “money balls” placed to the preferences of each competitor.

She made every single shot from the first rack, ending with 26 points. It was the highest score of the night until Curry took over.

Ionescu, 26, looked like she was enjoying a stroll in the park when she arrived for the competition, making casual conversation as she walked through the tunnel. Curry, on the other hand, didn’t hide his emotions before the contest. “I’m so nervous man,” he told a reporter in the locker room as he prepared to change into his uniform. “The whole world is going to be watching.”

Curry had the right attitude. While Ionescu issued the challenge, she did so after setting a record for both leagues with a whopping 37 points in the 3-point contest during last summer’s WNBA All-Star weekend. She only missed two shots, setting a tough precedent for Curry to beat. He’d won the NBA’s 3-point shooting competition twice throughout his career (2015, 2021) — and Ionescu raised the bar.

The previous event saw Damian Lillard represent the Milwaukee Bucks in the 3-point contest, winning it all with 26 points. That was the same score it took for each of the finalists to advance out of the first round.

Lillard became the first player NBA history to become a back-to-back three-point champion since Jason Kapono in 2007 and ’08. He’s also the first ever Buck to win the contest since Ray Allen in 2001.

While fans will look to see him compete again next year, they can also potentially look forward to seeing Curry and Ionescu in action again.

“I know if I win, he’s going to want a rematch,” Ionescu said in a news conference before the competition. “If he wins, I’m going to want a rematch.”

The Bay Area native would be an easy addition to the 2024 All-Star Game, as the events will be hosted by Curry’s Golden State Warriors in her hometown.