With each made three-point shot that Sabrina Ionescu swished, the crowd grew louder and louder. After she drilled several shots in a row, it became clear that something special was happening at the WNBA All-Star 3Pt-Contest. Sure enough, by the time that the New York Liberty star completed the course, she stood alone with a record-setting 37 points. The previous record was 30 held by Allie Quigley. It was a record-setting mark in NBA 3pt-Contest history as well with both Steph Curry and Tyrese Haliburton setting the mark with 31.
Once Ionescu saw the first few shots drop, she knew she was in a zone. She had just participated in the Skills Challenge alongside Liberty teammate Courtney Vandersloot and they came up short against the Las Vegas Aces contingent of Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum. Ionescu was determined not to be outdone for the second event in a row. She missed only two shots the entire second round of the WNBA 3Pt-Contest, something she lamented after the event.
“I shouldn't have missed two,” Ionescu said at her post event media availability. “There's adrenaline, it was the final round, I had just lost in the skills, I wasn't going to lose again. I'm thankful to have only missed two.”
After the event, Ionescu joked that the isn't used to hearing cheers in the Aces arena when she's hitting shots. But for a friendly All-Star event, the crowd was certainly behind her as she rained three after three. It got to the point where Ionescu didn't even have to look at the basket to know that her shots were dropping. Once she heard the roar of the crowd, she moved right on the the next ball.
“I knew they were going in. . .I didn't even wait for the ball to get through the net. As soon as I shot it, it looked good and I just went down and kept grabbing them,” Ionescu said. “I was listening to the fans as they were cheering knowing that they went in, so they were my validation.”
In the building among the fans watching Ionescu make history was former WNBA All-Star 3Pt-Contest champion Allie Quigley. Quigley last played for the Chicago Sky during the 2022 season but decided to sit this year out. She etched her name in WNBA All-Star history as well last season when she became the only player to have won the event four consecutive times.
Ionescu acknowledged that Quigley is someone she looks up to. She felt like this win was significant not only from a WNBA standpoint, but from an overall standpoint considering the fact that nobody in the NBA has done something like either. While she may not be ready to put her name alongside Steph Curry in the conversation for the best shooter in the world, she believes this was a testament to the work she's put in on her shot.
“I wouldn't say I'm a better shooter than Steph Curry,” Ionescu joked. “Obviously it's different shooting off a rack, but to be included in the names of winning this award in the WNBA and also the NBA, it's very special. I've put in a lot of work to be able to shoot like I have been from the three-point line so this one is pretty rewarding.”
This season, Sabrina Ionescu is shooting a career-high 44.6 percent from the three-point line. That's nearly ten percent higher than her three-point shooting percentage last season. It's not as if she's taking more three-point attempts. She's up to 7.6 this season from 6.9 last season. She's just knocking them down at an insanely efficient clip.
While it's obviously a lot different to shoot three-pointers in a timed contest off a rack with no defenders than it is in a regular season game, Ionescu does believe that she can carry this kind of momentum and shooting over to the Liberty once the season resumes. So much so that she hinted she may try and persuade Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello to allow her shoot more three-point shots in games.
“I believe in my shot. I put the work in, I'm shooting it at 44 percent in game right now which for me is a great percentage,” Ionescu said. “Being able to read the defense, figure out ways that I can continue to use my three-point threat to help us as a team, it's huge. I will absolutely be taking this and maybe sending it Sandy and telling her to keep running some three-point plays for me. . .not joking.”