Stephen Curry wins unprecedented 3-point contest against Sabrina Ionescu

Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu may have expected a win-win situation when they agreed to compete in an unprecedented 3-point shootout, but someone had to lose.

Curry scored 29 points to secure the victory on All-Star Saturday night.

Ionescu, 26, refused to shoot from the women’s 3-point line, which measured 20 feet, 6 inches. Instead, she leveled the playing field by shooting from the NBA line of 23 feet, 9 inches, but she did use a WNBA ball.

Fans were invited to vote on who should shoot first, which ended in Ionescu starting. She got hot quickly with five racks of five balls set at various places along the 3-point line. Four racks included four ordinary balls worth one point each and one “money ball” worth two points. The fifth rack was filled completely with “money balls” positioned according to each competitor’s liking.

Ionescu made every shot from the first rack and finished with 26 points. That was tied for the night’s biggest score before Curry took over. He came through when it counted, like he often does, thriving under pressure to make some crucial buckets on his final rack.

Ionescu, 26, appeared to be taking a stroll in the park as she came for the tournament, making casual conversation as she walked through the tunnel. Curry, on the other hand, was open about his feelings leading up to the battle. “I’m so nervous, man,” he told a reporter in the locker room before changing into his outfit. “The whole world is going to be watching.”

Ionescu issued the challenge after breaking both league records with a 37-point round in the 3-point contest at last summer’s WNBA All-Star Weekend. She only missed two shots, setting a challenging precedent for Curry. Ionescu has won the NBA’s 3-point shooting competition twice before (in 2015 and 2021), but he was prepared for the task.

Also on Saturday, Damian Lillard represented the Milwaukee Bucks in the 3-point challenge, winning with a final round of 26 points. That was the identical score required for each of the finalists to proceed from the first round.

Lillard became the first back-to-back 3-point champion since Jason Kapono in 2007 and 2008. He is also the first Buck to win the competition since Ray Allen in 2001.

While fans want to see Lillard compete again next year, they may also see Curry and Ionescu play again.

“I know if I win, he’s going to want a rematch,” Ionescu stated at a press conference before the match. “If he wins, I’m going to want a rematch.”

The Bay Area native would be an ideal addition to the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be hosted by Curry’s Golden State Warriors.