It will be an exciting night as part of NBA All-Star weekend, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will face Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry in a three-point shooting contest. It will take place Saturday, but Ionescu spoke beforehand to share high praise Curry's way before they become competitors.
“10 years ago, I would have never thought this was possible, so being able to be up here, now it being the day that we're able to go out there and play. It's a blessing to even be in the same conversation as Steph [Curry] and to be able to see how much he [has] respected me as a player and a person to want to come out here and do this, he wants to beat me,” Ionescu said. “He's not taking it easy, he was out there booing me while I was practicing trying to get in my head. Obviously we're great friends, I look up to him, but once we get out there, we're both trying to win. I think a lot about who we are as individuals and competitors.”
"It's a blessing to even be in the same conversation as Steph [Curry] and to be able to see how much he [has] respected me as a player… He wants to beat me.”
Sabrina Ionescu gives Steph his flowers 💐
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/PE5ZaoIHPS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 17, 2024
Curry predicts he will win against Ionescu
Curry also spoke Saturday afternoon about the contest and to show off the aforementioned competitiveness between the two, he made a prediction of what the outcome might be. Arguably the best shooter of all time, he would say that the Liberty star in Ionescu is “unbelievable” in a lot of areas.
“It started with her and the three-point contest this summer with the WNBA, she had 37 points which is a record for the current format of the three-point contest,” Curry said. “I shouted her out and said how amazing and ridiculous that accomplishment was. She challenged me back and then fast forward to today, we're going to have our Sabrina vs. Step showdown. There's only one outcome, it's that I win. So I'm excited to go out there and shoot with her. She's unbelievable, an unbelievable shooter, unbelievable player, and it's going to be great for the game to have a little competition.”
“There’s only one outcome, it’s that I win.”
Steph Curry places his prediction for his shootout with Sabrina Ionescu 👀pic.twitter.com/zVqQeeIpIU
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 17, 2024
Ionescu gives major props to Curry before showdown
There is no doubt that the two have admiration for each other, especially Ionescu who has been watching Curry even before she was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 by New York. She would even say in a press conference leading up to the event that he was once her “background screensaver” on her phone according to CBS Sports.
“He used to be my background screensaver,” Ionescu said. “I used to have wallpapers. Everything you could think of up in my room. This is a pinch-me moment knowing what we're able to do this next weekend is every kid's dream.”
The Liberty star shooting from NBA range
The contest will work like a normal three-point contest, except the range will be in NBA rules which could put Ionescu at a disadvantage. However, this was addressed as she opted for the NBA range as she mentioned that is how she practices.
“Personally, I shoot from that range to begin with,” Ionescu said. “I practice from that range wanting to be a better shooter and a better basketball player. Just get better as a whole. Knowing I had that opportunity to pick what line I wanted to shoot from, it was a no-brainer from when it was first presented that I wanted to shoot from the NBA line.”
For Curry, he wants to go after the record Ionescu set in the WNBA three-point contest where he scored a record 37 points. Funny enough, that is how this whole event started in the first place as the Warriors star says “I got something to shoot for now.”
“However this plays out, it's what sports is about, right?” Curry said. “Competing, whatever the format is. She's the champ, so I'm the contender. Let's lay it out on the line….I gotta go after Sabrina's record. I got something to shoot for now that she went crazy with the 37 points in their All-Star weekend. I guess we gotta settle that one for sure.”
Should be an interesting competition to say the least Saturday night as Ionescu and Curry will face off after the NBA three-point shooting contest.
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