Sabrina Ionescu’s reason for choosing NBA line in Stephen Curry shootout will silence haters

Sabrina Ionescu doesn’t want her performance in the upcoming 3-point contest against Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry to be followed with an asterisk or the word “but.” The New York Liberty star reiterated her decision to shoot behind the NBA line in this All-Star Weekend showdown, determined to defy expectations that fans may have for her and all WNBA players.

“I’m using the men’s line,” Ionescu confidently told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Thursday. “That was kind of what I wanted to do from the beginning, just understanding where I normally shoot from is that range. That’s where I practice from and being able to have that opportunity to go out there and prove a lot of people wrong…I’ve been hearing a lot of people that think I can’t do it, that women can’t shoot from that far.”

The original plan for this one-on-one shooting battle was for Ionescu to compete from the WNBA 3-point line with Curry using NBA range (approximately three feet farther away), but the 26-year-old quickly put that notion to bed. Her ambition knows no bounds.

Forget the disparity in distance between the two professional basketball leagues, many would gladly take an advantage when facing off against the greatest shooter of all-time. Sabrina Ionescu is coming off a season in which she broke Diana Taurasi’s WNBA record for most made 3-pointers in a single season with 128. Steph Curry is still among the best guards in the game and is shooting 42.3 percent from deep, just off his lifetime average.

Indianapolis, the Liberty and the basketball world will be buzzing in anticipation for this unprecedented clash. But Ionescu is intent on making sure this contest goes beyond the court and resonates with women everywhere.