{"id":76714,"date":"2024-02-17T15:00:51","date_gmt":"2024-02-17T15:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/17\/5-things-to-know-about-sabrina-ionescu-before-nba-all-star-weekend\/"},"modified":"2024-02-17T15:00:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T15:00:51","slug":"5-things-to-know-about-sabrina-ionescu-before-nba-all-star-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/17\/5-things-to-know-about-sabrina-ionescu-before-nba-all-star-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things to Know About Sabrina Ionescu Before NBA All-Star Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Arturo Holmes\/Getty Images for NBA 2K24<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two of the best basketball players in the world are about to go head-to-head.<\/p>\n

Sabrina Ionescu<\/strong> and Stephen Curry<\/strong> will compete in a three-point shooting contest at NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday, February 17, in Indianapolis. The event marks the first time an NBA and WNBA player have publicly competed against each other in a competition like this.<\/p>\n

The idea for the contest came about last summer, shortly after Ionescu broke Curry\u2019s record for points in a three-point competition, lighting up WNBA All-Star Weekend with 37 out of 40 possible points. That included 20 makes in a row as she shattered Curry\u2019s previous mark of 31 points.<\/p>\n

\u201cShoot out??\ud83d\ude02 @StephenCurry30,\u201d she later quipped via X, sending a public challenge to the Golden State Warriors guard.<\/p>\n

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That sparked the conversation, and while the two have competed privately in HORSE (Ionescu won) and in pickup games, the All-Star shootout will be the first time that fans get to watch the two icons compete.<\/p>\n

Ionescu was originally set to shoot from the WNBA three-point line, which is more than 18 inches closer to the basket than the NBA line, while Curry was going to shoot from the NBA line. Ionescu later said she\u2019d shoot from NBA range as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cPersonally, I shoot from that range to begin with,\u201d Ionescu said on a media video call with Curry.<\/p>\n

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Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Ionescu and Curry are close and the competition will be friendly, the New York Liberty guard knows that the contest\u2019s impact extends beyond All-Star Weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s going to be a young kid who hasn\u2019t maybe watched many WNBA games but is going to watch this, and they\u2019re going to have that dream of one day maybe shooting against their idol,\u201d Ionescu said. \u201cWe\u2019re a small piece of changing the narrative. This isn\u2019t really scripted. This isn\u2019t something we\u2019re doing to try to check something off the box. We\u2019re really excited for the opportunity. It\u2019s really organic.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Courtside Love! Celeb Couples Who Watch Basketball Together: Photos<\/span><\/a>
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Curry, a longtime supporter of the WNBA, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re having this moment and reshaping how people think about just competition in general,\u201d Curry said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got kids that are in gyms, boys and girls playing. Whatever else comes out of it, we\u2019re going to continue to tap in and invest in moments like these that can move the needle.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to bragging rights, Ionescu and Curry are competing for charity. The NBA and WNBA will donate to Ionescu\u2019s SI20 Foundation and Curry\u2019s Eat.Learn.Play based on the number of threes each makes.<\/p>\n

As the competition approaches, here\u2019s what you need to know about Sabrina Ionescu:<\/p>\n

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1. She\u2019s 1 of the Greatest College Basketball Players Ever<\/h3>\n

Out of everything the pandemic took away in sports, the opportunity for Ionescu to play in a Final Four with the Oregon Ducks is among the most cruel. The then-senior swept the national player of the year awards and shattered school, conference and NCAA records along the way. Perhaps most notably, Ionescu is the all-time college basketball leader in triple-doubles among both men and women. Even as Caitlin Clark<\/strong> barrels through the competition at Iowa, she has only achieved the feat 15 times, a distant second place to Ionescu\u2019s 26. Ionescu is also the only player in college basketball history with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds in her career.<\/p>\n

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Hippolyte Petit\/Getty Images for Tribeca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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2. She\u2019s the Cornerstone of the New York Liberty\u2019s Revival<\/h3>\n

After COVID cut Ionescu\u2019s college career short, the New York Liberty selected her first overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft. Injuries derailed her first season, but Ionescu returned with a vengeance in 2021, notching the first triple-double in franchise history. Now, alongside all-stars Jonquel Jones<\/strong>, Breanna Stewart<\/strong> and Courtney Vandersloot<\/strong>, Ionescu is one of the faces of the best team in the Eastern Conference. The Liberty fell to the Las Vegas Aces in the 2023 WNBA Finals in four games.<\/p>\n

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3. She\u2019s 1 of Nike\u2019s Most Prominent Woman Athletes<\/h3>\n

Almost as soon as she was out of college, Ionescu signed an endorsement deal with Nike. By 2023, that deal included a signature sneaker, making her just the 12th WNBA player to have a namesake shoe, and the eighth to do so with the Swoosh. Since its launch, WNBA and NBA athletes alike have donned the Sabrina 1s on-court, including Jordan Clarkson<\/strong> and Jrue Holiday<\/strong>. (Liberty superfan Jason Sudeikis<\/strong> also wore a pair to the 2024 Golden Globe Awards.)<\/p>\n

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