Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu’s 3-point showdown may be returning with a twist.
The NBA and WNBA debuted a new 3-Point Contest during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend that featured Curry and Ionescu going head to head. Curry ultimately won the inaugural competition, but Ionescu kept it close. It was widely considered a success, and it could return in a 2-vs-2 action.
Curry and fellow “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson would face Ionescu and Caitlin Clark in 2025, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
“At this point, Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu is very likely for next year,” reported Charania. “Next year’s All-Star Weekend is going to be in the Bay Area, in San Francisco, at Chase Center in 2025.
“I’m told, with Caitlin Clark and potentially Klay Thompson, to make it 2 vs. 2 — Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, his Splash Brother. I’m told Steph Curry has specifically brought up potentially having Klay Thompson in this competition for next year. Could a guy like Damian Lillard be a candidate as well to join Steph Curry?
“But those two guys potentially against Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark, those are all conversations that are going to continue to go on in the coming months.”
“At this point Stephen Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu is very likely for next year…I’m told with Caitlin Clark and potentially Klay Thompson to make it 2v2.”
The NBA is looking to up the ante for next year’s All-Star Weekend 👏
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/2XuZDWLXw2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 2, 2024
The Warriors are hosting NBA All-Star Weekend in 2025, so it would give the hometown fans an opportunity to watch Curry and Thompson team up in a 3-Point Contest.
Ionescu, who is entering her fifth WNBA season, would play alongside Clark, the expected No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
MORE: Caitlin Clark channels Kobe Bryant with comments after Elite Eight win
Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-Point Challenge format
The Curry vs. Ionescu 3-Point Contest debuted during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indiana, and it took on the same format as the regular 3-Point Contest.
There were five racks placed around the 3-point arc with five balls each, one being the money ball. One rack was five money balls that could be placed in any of the five locations.
Each player also had two “STARRY Range” shots available from 29 feet and nine inches away.
The question heading into the challenge was whether Ionescu would shoot from the WNBA or the NBA 3-point line. She chose to shoot from the NBA line.
“That decision to move to the NBA line was something that I wanted to do from the beginning,” Ionescu said. “To just continue to push boundaries and equal the playing field. And knowing that I had the opportunity to do that in terms of picking where I wanted to shoot from and just continuing to move the needle in that direction is what I wanted to do.
“No matter how challenging or difficult that decision seems, I’d rather go down fighting for what I believe I’m capable of doing.”
The only difference was Ionescu used WNBA balls, while Curry used NBA balls.
MORE: Comparing stats between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers
Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-Point Challenge results
Curry and Ionescu did not disappoint in their inaugural NBA vs. WNBA 3-point showdown.
Both sharpshooters had won a 3-Point Contest prior. Curry won twice in 2015 and 2021, and Ionescu won in 2023. Ionescu set an NBA and WNBA record with 37 points out of 40 in the final round of the WNBA 3-Point Contest.
She didn’t match that ridiculous outing, but she still was one of the top shooters of the evening. Ionescu recorded 26 points, which would have been enough to reach the finals. Curry won the challenge, however, with 29 points.
Stephen Curry, Sabrina Ionescu, Klay Thompson, Caitlin Clark 3-point stats
With the NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge potentially expanding to add Thompson and Clark in a 2-on-2 contest, here’s a look at how the players compare on 3-pointers:
| Player | Career | 2023-24 |
| Stephen Curry | 42.5% | 40.3% |
| Klay Thompson | 41.3% | 38.2% |
| Sabrina Ionescu | 37.7% | 44.8% |
| Caitlin Clark | 37.8% | 38.0% |
