There will not be a 3-point contest between the NBA’s Steph Curry and the WNBA’s Sabrina Ionescu at this NBA All-Star Weekend Saturday or Sunday in San Francisco.
“We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass said. “We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.”
Last season at All-Star Weekend Indianapolis, Ionescu and Curry put on a 3-point show with Curry edging his friend 29-26, and there was talk the two players would return this season for another display of 3-point shooting.
Curry’s Warriors are the host, and Ionescu grew up in the Bay Area, and earlier this season, NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated there would be similar event this year.
“I can’t remember if they’ve formally committed or informally committed but they know they’re going to be doing this again,” Silver told reporters in Mexico City earlier this season. “They are looking forward to it. I think as soon as they walked off the court after the competition last year, in fact they said we need more than one round to make it even fairer. So we’re going to be doing more things.
Earlier this month, Ionescu told USA TODAY Sports, “Whether it happens this year or in the future, we both have a lot of basketball left, so we’ll definitely get to it at some point. It’s kind of TBD on that. But I am excited to get to the Bay. Obviously I am from the Bay, so my whole family is very excited to be able to see me and welcome me home.’
All sides involved were still in talks this week about a format that would resonate and not be a repeat of Steph vs. Sabrina. They fell short of finding a way to elevate the format such as Curry and Ionescu teaming up against two-time 3-point champion Damian Lillard and WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, did not participate in the WNBA’s 2024 All-Star 3-point contest and said in January she wanted her first 3-point contest as a professional to take place at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
Curry has won the NBA 3-point contest twice (2015, 2021) but is not in this year’s field.