Subscribe
Follow Us
IINDIANAPOLIS – WNBA All-Star Friday Night ended up being a New York Liberty night as they swept the evening’s events with Sabrina Ionescu winning the 3-Point Contest and Natasha Cloud winning the Skills Challenge. It was the second time she’s won the contest and she tied for the second-highest score with 30, as per Alexa Philippou of ESPN. Sabrina Ionescu participated in a special 3-Point Contest during 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend against Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, so it was fitting that he was her first call after the win.
During the special NBA 3-Point Contest, Stephen Curry narrowly edged out Sabrina Ionescu, 29-26, with the event being held in Indianapolis, which is why she made it a point to show off to him after winning the WNBA’s event in the same location.
“I called Steph after and was showing the trophy off because last time he beat be when we were here in Indy,” Ionescu said during her press conference. “So it’s just fun to be back here competing Obviously didn’t do it last year and so really happy to be able to be up here and put on a show for New York.”
Ionescu’s first time competing in the 3-Point Contest was during 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend. That time, Ionescu dazzled the crowd with a record-setting 37-point score. She missed only two shots the entire round. It was after that the plans were hatched to have her compete against Curry in a special event during NBA All-Star Weekend.
With her recent 3-Point Contest win, Ionescu tied Allie Quigley with the second-highest score in the event. Quigley and Ionescu are the only two players to have won the WNBA’s 3-Point Contest multiple times. She also hilariously admitted she didn’t practice for the event. But as confident and clutch of a shooter as she is, Ionescu admitted that, that isn’t always the case.
“Anyone who knows me, maybe from the outside it doesn’t seem like it, but obviously I get really nervous for these things because I do put a lot of pressure on myself and wanting to perform for myself,” Ionescu said. “But also for everyone who believes in me and wants to see a show. And understanding that I’m trying to continue to grow the game of basketball, and with doing stuff like this I think it does that.”
Since coming into the WNBA, Ionescu has always been a strong shooter. She holds a career average of 35.7 percent shooting from the three-point line. Her career-high is 44.8 percent which she reached in 2023, the year she won her first contest.
