The worst-kept secret about NBA All-Star weekend is now official:
Stephen Curry will face Sabrina Ionescu — the WNBA’s single-season 3-point record holder in a first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge as part of All-Star Saturday Night, Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Ionescu challenged Curry after she set a record with an insane 37 (out of a possible 40) in the final round of the WNBA 3-point contest. The NBA knows good marketing when it sees it and jumped on the opportunity, complete with some obvious-to-the-point-of-awkward “viral” ramp-up to this.
Still, this should be fun — All-Star Saturday, with its skills competitions, has been more fun and entertaining than the All-Star Game itself for years. This follows in those footsteps, this should be a good watch.
The shootout will follow the 3-Point Contest rules, but Curry will shoot NBA balls from the NBA 3-point line (23 feet, 9 inches) while Ionescu will launch WNBA balls from the WNBA arc (20 feet, 6 inches). Make no mistake, Ionescu can shoot the rock, she hit 44.8% of her 3s last season on 7.9 attempts a game for the New York Liberty.
Curry was not named an All-Star starter this year despite the fans voting him as one (Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgious Alexander got the honor), but he is a lock to be selected as a reserve by the coaches.
But that’s Sunday night, first Curry has a made-for-TV showdown on Saturday.
