Steph Curry Hails Sabrina Ionescu 3-Point Shootout as ‘Perfect’ at NBA All-Star Event

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Stephen Curry may have defeated Sabrina Ionescu in their three-point shootout, but the WNBA star made the greatest shooter in NBA history sweat.

Ionescu knocked down her first seven shots on her way to finishing with a score of 26, which would have tied the high score from the first round of the overall NBA Three-Point Contest.

Curry knocked down four shots in the final rack—his moneyball rack—to barely escape with a 29-26 victory.

“I saw the first rack … and I was having flashbacks to watching her this [past] summer,” Curry said after the competition. “It added a lot of pressure, for sure, and I just wanted to get off to a good start, settle in and thankfully I made enough to get over the top.

“But that was perfect. Great entertainment, great shooting—both sides—and an awesome 70 seconds for both of us.”

The Curry vs. Ionescu marked the first head-to-head battle between WNBA and NBA players on All-Star Saturday, but it likely won’t be the last. Their competition was undoubtedly the highlight of the four showcases in Indianapolis on Saturday night.

Curry and Ionescu made sure their battle lived up to the hype in every sense.

It also created hype for what could be offshoots of the event for next year. With Iowa’s Caitlin Clark potentially heading to the WNBA for next season, it’s possible she could be added to the mix against another NBA star. Or perhaps Curry and Ionescu could return for a repeat of their battle this year.

Regardless, there was no question what got the most fans out of their seat Saturday night.