This weekend’s NBA All-Star festivities in Indianapolis will feature a special first-of-its-kind event pitting a contemporary NBA hero against one of the brightest stars of the WNBA.
“Stephen vs. Sabrina” will have New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu going head-to-head against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry for the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge.
One of the more talked about events of All-Star weekend, the shootout will take place on Feb. 17 at Indy’s Lucas Oil Stadium as part of the All-Star Saturday Night festivities.
Ionescu initiated this weekend’s Stephen vs. Sabrina competition after her dazzling performance in the 3-point contest during the WNBA All-Star events last year. That’s when Ionescu scored 37 shootout points in the final round, the most ever in the history of both WNBA and NBA 3-point contests.
Afterwards, Ionescu tweeted “Shoot out??” and tagged Curry, with whom she’s had a friendly relationship with over the past several years. Ionescu grew up in the East Bay area and was a fan of Curry’s, attending Warriors games with her family. When Ionescu played for the University of Oregon, Curry attended a game with his daughters, who Ionescu took time to speak with.
The Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-point competition will take place just before the Slam Dunk contest and right after the usual All-Star 3-point contest, which this year features the likes of Trae Young, Jalen Brunson and defending champ Damian Lillard.
All of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night events will be broadcast Feb. 17 on TNT, beginning at 8 p.m. (ET) with the Skills Challenge.
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Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-point contest odds
Like other NBA All-Star Weekend events, including the dunk contest and the All-Star Game itself on Sunday, many sportsbooks have a few betting options for the Stephen vs. Sabrina 3-point shootout.
When it comes to picking who will win the contest, Curry — unquestionably the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history — is the heavy favorite.
Here are recent Curry vs. Ionescu 3-Point Challenge odds from FanDuel:
- Sabrina Ionescu +200
- Steph Curry -265
FanDuel is offering a few other markets related to the Stephen vs. Sabrina shootout, including how many shots will be made in a row:
- Steph To Make 4+ Shots in a Row
-1800 - Steph To Make 6+ Shots in a Row
-220 - Steph To Make 8+ Shots in a Row
+155 - Steph To Make 10+ Shots in a Row
+460 - Sabrina To Make 4+ Shots in a Row
-550 - Sabrina To Make 6+ Shots in a Row
-125 - Sabrina To Make 8+ Shots in a Row
+240 - Sabrina To Make 10+ Shots in a Row
+650
You can also bet the OVER/UNDER on Curry and Ionescu’s individual scores, as well the combined scores of both players.
FanDuel has the OVER/UNDER point total for Ionescu set at 20.5. For Curry, it’s 24.5. The combined score total is 45.5.
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NBA 3-point contest rules for Steph Curry, Sabrina Ionescu
The rules for Curry and Ionescu’s special competition will follow the same regulations as a single round of the 3-point contests at the NBA and WNBA events.
For both competitors, there will be five racks of balls positioned along the 3-point perimeter. Four of the racks will have four game balls, plus one “money ball.” The fifth rack, which Curry and Ionescu will be able to choose the position of, will have five money balls.
Each game ball made is worth one point, while money balls are worth two points each.
In 2020, the NBA and WNBA increased the time of each round from 60 seconds to 70 seconds and introduced two additional deep shots per round in the 3-point competitions.
For the deep shots, a single ball is situated on a pedestal six feet beyond the 3-point line. This year, the deep balls are called “Starry Range” shots (named for the 3-point contest’s title sponsor Starry, the soda formerly known as Sierra Mist).
If made, shots from the Starry Range are worth three points each. When added in 2020, those two shots brought the maximum point total for each round up to 40 (from 34).
When the NBA first announced the format for Curry and Ionescu’s competition, the rules stated that Ionescu would be shooting from a WNBA 3-point line, which is closer to the basket (22 feet 1.75 inches from the basket to the top of the arc) than it is in the NBA (23 feet 9 inches).
But after the rules announcement in January, Ionescu requested they both shoot from the NBA line, telling reporters recently that she normally practices from that range.
Per the initial format announcement, the only difference between the two rounds now will be that Ionescu will shoot with a WNBA regulation ball, which is about one inch smaller in circumference and up to two ounces lighter than the NBA regulation ball Curry will be using.
In honor of the contest, the NBA and WNBA will make contributions to Curry’s childhood health and education nonprofit, Eat.Learn.Play, and Ionescu’s youth sports organization, the SI20 Foundation. Additionally, State Farm will be donating money for each shot made in the contest to the NBA Foundation, which fosters economic development and empowerment in the Black community.
Sabrina Ionescu 3-point contest history, records
Ionescu comes into this 3-point competition with considerably less experience than the veteran Curry. But her thrilling, record-breaking performance during the 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend should give Curry at least a little cause for worry.
Ionescu, 26, was a star player at Oregon, where she became the first NCAA basketball player (man or woman) to notch more than 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in their career. She also holds the all-time college record for most career triple-doubles with 26.
The New York Liberty chose Ionescu with the top pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. Last year, in her third full season as a pro, Ionescu led the WNBA in 3-point shooting, making 128 while averaging 3.6 per game and shooting at a 44.8% clip.
In her first and only 3-point contest appearance last year, Ionescu missed her first shot but then made her next 20 baskets. After missing again, she was perfect to finish the round, making 25 of 27 shots and scoring 37 out of a maximum 40 points. Another sign of her dazzling efficiency — she completed the round with seven seconds to spare.
Not only did Ionescu smash the record for most points in an NBA or WNBA 3-point contest, she also broke the record for most consecutive shots made. Her 20 straight was more than the NBA record of 19 straight set by the Bulls’ Craig Hodges in 1991. With 25 makes, Ionescu also broke the NBA and WNBA records for most shots made in a single round. In 2021, Curry tied Hodges’ record of 21 shots made in the NBA All-Star 3-point contest.
Stephen Curry 3-point contest history, records
A first-ballot hall of famer, Curry is in the 15th year of his remarkable NBA career. Curry is by far the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, breaking Ray Allen’s record of 2,973 made threes in 2022 while needing 511 fewer games than Allen to do it. Curry currently has 3,631 made threes in his career.
Curry’s career 3-point shooting percentage is 42.7 and he hasn’t lost much of a step in his advancing age. At the halfway point this season, the 35-year-old has made 241 threes with a 42.1 3-point shooting percentage.
Curry has participated in the NBA 3-point contest seven times and has won it twice, in 2015 and 2021. He’s one of only seven players in the contest’s 39-year history to win more than once.
In the 2021 contest, Curry set the record for most points in a round with 31 (out of a potential 40). The Pacers’ Tyler Haliburton tied Curry’s record at last year’s contest. In the finals of the 2021 competition, Curry scored 28 points in the finals, the second-most points in finals history.
Besides tying the record for most shots made in a single round (21) in the 2021 contest, Curry has the second-most consecutive shots made thanks to his 2015 performance when he rattled off 13 straight.
Curry vs. Ionescu 3-point shootout pick: More value on Sabrina
It seems foolish to bet against Steph Curry, particularly with anything involving 3-point shooting. Curry has far more experience and success in 3-point contests and he’s in the middle of another solid season, so he should be warmed up and ready to roll.
Though it was a masterful one, Ionescu has a single 3-point contest under her belt. While not in midseason form, Ionescu has undoubtedly been training specifically for this shootout. Perhaps the singular focus will give her a slight edge.
The bottom line is betting on Curry to win at -265 doesn’t have much value. For a better payout, it might be worth going with Ionescu to win. It’s certainly not impossible.
