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

Sabrina Ionescu does not want her performance in the upcoming 3-point shooting 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.”

“I’m using the men’s line.”@sabrina_i20 talked to @TermineRadio and @Jumpshot8 about her upcoming three-point contest against @StephenCurry30.

Hear more from All-Star weekend on NBA Radio all weekend long!

Listen LIVE: https://t.co/Siy1ymsiBT pic.twitter.com/m0K43NRstn

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) February 16, 2024

Related New York Liberty NewsArticle continues below

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver walk through the audience during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery at McCormick Place.

Richard Jefferson claims NBA likes ‘rigged’ conspiracy theories1h

2025 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0 with Cedric Coward, Egor Demin and Carter Bryant

2025 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Egor Demin headlines post-Combine risers2h

Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) goes to the basket during the first half against the USC Trojans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

NBA rumors: Ace Bailey draws eye-opening Anthony Edwards comparison before draft2h

The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.

Ranking 3 best Fred VanVleet free-agency destinations if he leaves Rockets3h

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

Forget the disparity in distance between the two professional basketball leagues. Many would gladly take any advantage they can get when facing 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, a hair 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 transcends the court and resonates with women everywhere.

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