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Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu will face off in a 3-point challenge this weekend.
CNN
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We know Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu are great 3-point shooters. But this weekend we'll find out who's the best.
The two sharpshooters will face off during All-Star Weekend in the first NBA vs. WNBA 3-point contest to settle a long-running debate.
The two approached each other earlier this year, and now the stage is set to find out who is the best 3-point shooter in the sport.
“I don't think either of us realizes the magnitude and scale of this,” Ionescu said Tuesday. “We’re just excited to be able to do this.”
Curry agreed. “This is sport, it’s about competing…looking for opportunities to raise the bar.”
Curry and Ionescu will compete in a custom competition on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, after the traditional three-point contest and before the dunk contest.
Saturday night's game begins at 8pm ET with Skills Challenge and can be viewed on TNT.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Curry takes a shot against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Curry has won the NBA Three-Point Contest twice and holds the league record for most three-pointers made in a career (3,642).
However, in 2023, Ionescu set the WNBA record for most 3-pointers in a single season (128). She also set a WNBA and NBA all-time scoring record by scoring 37 out of 40 in the 3-point contest last season.
According to the official release, Curry was scheduled to shoot an NBA ball from the NBA's three-point line, while Ionescu was supposed to use the WNBA's equivalent ball – the line was a little closer and the ball was slightly smaller.
But Ionescu said he is confident in his abilities and wants to level the playing field.
“I'm going to shoot from the NBA line…let's do it,” she said. I wrote to Xformerly known as Twitter.
As part of the contest, Curry and Ionescu's respective charities will receive donations from the NBA and WNBA. The two will also have the opportunity to raise money for the NBA Foundation, which aims to further the economic empowerment of Black communities, with each Regular Shot valued at $1,000 and each Moneyball shot valued at $2,000. He also has a special three-point shot of 29 feet, 9 inches. It's called the “STARRY Range Ball,'' valued at $3,000.
Curry: “I think this is the coolest thing ever.'' told TNT In late January.
“I love being confident and I love competing. It's a new format on that stage. Obviously, I'm here to win. I think she is too.”
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Ionescu celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of the game between the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun.
In the traditional three-point contest, Malik Beasley, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Lauri Markkanen, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Trae Young showed accuracy from deep. trying to win the crown.
All-Star Weekend culminates with the All-Star Game on Sunday at the Indiana Pacers' Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the best of the best compete against each other.
This year's game returned to the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format, with many of the league's biggest stars converging on Indianapolis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James will captain the East and West, respectively, while Joel Embiid is the biggest player missing after undergoing surgery on a knee injury earlier this month.
Saturday's games begin with the NBA's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Showcase, with Virginia Union taking on Winston-Salem State University at 2 p.m. ET.
On Saturday night, players will showcase their all-around skills in a skills challenge starting at 3pm ET, followed by a showcase of their deep talent in a 3-point contest. The night ends with Curry vs. Ionescu and a slam dunk match.
And on Sunday, the NBA's minor league affiliate, the G League, will hold its own series of events starting at 1:30 p.m. ET at G League Park at the Indian Convention Center before the weekend's crown jewel, the All-Stars. to hold. The game will take place at 8pm ET.
TNT Sports (formerly known as Turner Sports and briefly as Warner Bros. Discovery Sports) is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), which owns CNN.
CNN's Ben Church contributed to this report.
