INDIANAPOLIS — It’s Stephen Curry’s world and even Sabrina Ionescu has to live in it.
In the showdown everyone was waiting to see, Ionescu put up a 3-point shooting contest number as good as anyone else in the building (including NBA 3-Point Contest winner Damian Lillard), just not as good as Stephen Curry.
Curry vs. Ionescu lived up to the billing — partly because Ionescu made her first seven shots (and 9-of-10) and had the crowd buzzing on her way to 26 (which is as good as any of the men just shot in the 3-point contest just before).
SABRINA IONESCU.
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
26 POINTS.
COOKING.
Stephen Curry is up next on TNT! https://t.co/fvM9iOA0ZD pic.twitter.com/nlDCX25eIx
It was a standout performance.
But Stephen Curry was in the building. He started slow, got hot late and, well, he’s Stephen Curry.
STEPHEN CURRY HEATS UP LATE TO WIN STEPHEN vs. SABRINA!
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
Curry: 29 PTS
Ionescu: 26 PTS
What. A. Battle. https://t.co/hRX4qElqQJ pic.twitter.com/Uu9hmBhUhO
The real winner on the night was basketball.
“Just basketball as a whole, I think,” Ionescu said. “Being able to have this crossover and understanding the respect I’ve been able to receive from a lot of the NBA guys, just knowing that Steph wanted to do this as well, in terms of just respecting another shooter.
“I think it’s going to show a lot of young kids out there, a lot of people who might have not believed or even watched women’s sports that we’re able to go out there and put on a show. So it was really exciting to finally be able to do this. Like Steph said, it happened perfectly.”
For winning, Curry got the championship belt — but expect that belt to be on the line a year from now when the All-Star Game comes to San Francisco and the Chase Center. Ionescu was born and raised in the Bay Area, and Curry is a legend in the city. There is no chance this won’t come back for round two.
“We’ve been talking about finding different ways to change this up next year,” Ionescu said. “I think he has a partner in mind that’s going to join him. So I’m open to any partner that could help me win and take that belt that he has up front and center away from him.”
