The second coming of Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King this is not.
Promoters billed that iconic 1973 tennis “Battle of the Sexes” as a contentious clash between male chauvinism and women’s liberation. In stark contrast, the 3-point shooting contest matching Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and New York Liberty counterpart Sabrina Ionescu set for NBA All-Star Weekend is a friendly competition based on mutual respect.
Whereas Ms. King pretty much mopped the floor with the late Mr. Riggs, beating her aging opponent 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 at the Houston Astrodome more than 50 years ago, it will be equally fascinating to see which of the uncanny basketball sharpshooters can outdo the other when they square off in a first-of-its-kind event Feb. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
TNT’s television coverage of All-Star Saturday Night, which also includes the usual 3-point and slam-dunk contests, is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
“It’s the coolest thing ever,” Curry said Jan. 30 during a post-game interview on TNT.
Ionescu, in a Feb. 13 video call with reporters, called it a “pinch-me moment.”
Curry, 35, has led the Warriors to four NBA championships and is the league’s all-time 3-point field goal leader with 3,640. Ionescu, 26, set a WNBA single-season 3-point record with 128 last year.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots in front of Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco on Feb. 14, 2024. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)
The genesis for their upcoming showdown was Ionescu’s riveting performance in the 3-point contest at last year’s WNBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas. A 5-foot-11 guard, Ionescu buried 25 of 27 long-range shots, including 20 in a row at one point. She finished with 37 of a possible 40 points to better the NBA-record total of 31 set by Curry in 2021 and matched two years later by Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.
“I know she kind of broke the airwaves,” Curry told TNT. “I was on some golf course somewhere. My phone was blowing up, saying what Sabrina had done.”
Perhaps because they had previously formed something of a friendship, Ionescu took to social media and jokingly challenged Curry. A subsequent conversation between the two led to an event that both say can only grow the sport, particularly for females.
“There’s going to be a young kid who maybe hasn’t watched many WNBA games but is going to watch this, and they’re going to have that dream of one day maybe shooting against their idol,” Ionescu said during the video call. “We’re a small piece of changing the narrative. This isn’t something we’re doing to try to check something off the box. It’s really organic.”
While she rose to national prominence during a brilliant collegiate career at the University of Oregon, Ionescu’s roots are in Northern California. She grew up in the East Bay community of Orinda, twice led Miramonte High School to the state championship game in the California Interscholastic Federation’s highest division, and attended Warriors games when the team played in nearby Oakland.
A long-time supporter of women’s basketball, Curry took his daughters, Riley and Ryan, to an Oregon-Cal matchup in Berkeley during Ionescu’s senior season with the Ducks.
“You look for opportunities to just raise the bar on what it means to be a basketball fan,” Curry said during this week’s media video call. “However it plays out, this is what sports is about, competing. Whatever else comes out of it, we’re going to continue to tap in and invest in moments like these that can move the needle. It’s uncharted territory, and I think we’re both honored and privileged to be the first to do it.”
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) drives against Las Vegas Aces center Kiah Stokes (41) during the first half in Game 2 of a WNBA basketball final playoff series in Las Vegas on Oct. 11, 2023. (John Locher/AP Photo)
The only allowance for Ionescu during the contest is that she will use the slightly smaller WNBA basketball to which she is accustomed. Original plans called for her to shoot from the shorter WNBA 3-point distance of 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches from the top of the key, but Ionescu instead requested to use the NBA 3-point line of 23 feet, 9 inches.
“Personally, I shoot from that range to begin with,” Ionescu said. “I practice from that range in wanting to just be a better shooter, a better basketball player, and get better as a whole. It was a no-brainer from when it was first presented that I wanted to shoot from the NBA line. Very thankful that I was given that opportunity, and I’m going to capitalize on it.”
A two-time winner and three-time runner-up in NBA 3-point shooting events, Curry expressed admiration for Ionescu’s choice during the TNT interview.
“She stepped it up,” he said. “I love the confidence. I love the competition. Obviously, I’m coming to win. She is, too. It’s going to be great. I think the fans will love it.”
As part of the event, the NBA and WNBA will make financial donations to youth-oriented charities begun by Curry and Ionescu. Additionally, shots made by the two will trigger donations from State Farm to the NBA Foundation, which supports economic opportunities in the black community.
