Steph, Sabrina to compete in NBA-WNBA 3-point shootout
Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu are going head to head at NBA All-Star weekend.
The Golden State Warriors and New York Liberty star guards are participating in the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge during All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 17 in Indianapolis.
The “Stephen vs. Sabrina” shootout will follow the 3-Point Contest rules, but Curry will shoot NBA balls from the NBA 3-point line (23 feet, 9 inches) while Ionescu will launch WNBA balls from the WNBA arc (20 feet, 6 inches).
Ionescu, the WNBA’s single-season 3-point record holder, initially set a record with 37 out of 40 in the final round of the WNBA 3-Point Contest in July. She went on to challenge the two-time NBA 3-Point Contest champion.
Curry raised the challenge once again when he was mic’d up warming up for Golden State’s game against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 25.
Ionescu accepted the challenge right away.
Recent history suggests it’s premature to slam door on Warriors’ season
SAN FRANCISCO – The Warriors have given the basketball world many reasons to shut the door on their season. Before doing so, consider two NBA teams that recently were revived in the middle of a season.
Please bear with me.
The 2021-22 Boston Celtics through their first 47 games spent more time below .500 than above it. They recovered, winning 28 of their last 35 to reach the NBA Finals where they lost to the Warriors.
Those Celtics, a young core with first-time head coach Ime Udoka, are not these Warriors. But they are proof that corrective action can ignite a turnaround.
The other example? This season’s New York Knicks. From October through December, they were giving away buckets like candy on Halloween. They were 17-15, eighth in the Eastern Conference. They were 20th in defensive rating (115.5) when the calendar flipped to 2024.
The Knicks on Dec. 30 acquired forward OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors. The elite defender made his debut on Jan. 1. Voila! New York is an NBA-best 13-2 in January, and its 104.0 defensive rating this month ranks No. 1. They’re in fourth place.
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