Stephen Curry is headed back to the NBA All-Star Weekend. Sabrina Ionescu will be waiting for him.
The shootout that both of them wanted is officially a reality, the NBA announced yesterday.
"Stephen vs Sabrina" will be part of All-Star Saturday Night in Indianapolis on February 17. Curry, the NBA's all-time three-point king, will take on the reigning WNBA three-point shootout queen and single-season record holder Ionescu.
"Stage is set! Let's get it," Curry posted on social media. Ionescu responded simply: "Let's go!"
This matchup was months in the making. Curry was wired with a microphone for Golden State's game last week against Sacramento and had a discussion with Warriors teammate Brandin Podziemski about Ionescu, who scored an almost-perfect 37 points in the WNBA's three-point contest last summer. That topped Curry's NBA three-point contest best of 31.
"I think I've got to challenge her," Curry told Podziemski.
The NBA was more than happy to make it happen.
Curry will shoot from the NBA three-point line with league basketballs, and Ionescu will shoot from the WNBA three-point line with WNBA balls.
At stake: bragging rights and a lot of cash for charity - Curry's Eat.Learn.Play. nonprofit and Ionescu's SI20 Foundation will receive a donation from the NBA and WNBA for participating. Every shot they make will bring a donation from State Farm to the NBA Foundation - US$1,000 (HK$7,800) for regular threes, US$2,000 for money-ball threes and US$3,000 for deeper threes from nearly 30 feet.
Steph Curry
Sabrina Ionescu
