Stephen Curry beats Sabrina Ionescu by 3 in All-Star shootout

INDIANAPOLIS — Stephen Curry could be considered the greatest shooter in basketball history. But Sabrina Ionescu certainly made him prove it Saturday night as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend.

The Golden State Warriors guard defeated the New York Liberty guard 29-26 in an NBA vs. WNBA 3-point game – the first of its kind.

Ionescu opened by hitting seven straight shots before finishing with a total score of 26 – which tied the highest score of any NBA player in the 3-point contest held earlier Saturday night and won by Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Curry had perfect racks on the left and right wings and entered the final rack – his rack of silver balls, each mark worth two points – with 21 points. He missed his first shot but then reached the final four to close with 29 points and a dramatic victory.

“I saw the first rack…and I had flashbacks watching that [past] “It added a lot of pressure for sure, and I just wanted to get a good start, settle in and luckily I won enough to get over the top.

“But it was perfect. Great entertainment, great filming – on both sides – and a great 70 seconds for both of us.”

Immediately after the competition, the 26-year-old Ionescu sought a rematch with the 35-year-old Curry.

“Obviously Steph won for a reason, and I'm going to have to try to beat him next time,” Ionescu said.

TNT's Ernie Johnson previewed the showdown from center court, dubbed “Stephen vs. Sabrina,” as if it were a marquee boxing match – with a heavyweight belt presented to the winner. The concept of the event evoked memories of the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, which King won in three sets.

Yet while Riggs was infamous for dismissing the abilities of King – and other female tennis players – Curry was a graceful opponent.

“Me and Sabrina talked about what a cool opportunity it was to do something that’s never been done before in our game,” Curry said earlier Saturday. “And his presence on this stage is going to do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls who want to compete and see themselves in one of us.”

Ionescu reciprocated the sentiment.

“Being able to have that crossover and understanding the respect that I was able to receive from a lot of guys in the NBA – just knowing that Steph wanted to do that too, in terms of respect for another shooter – I think that's going to show a lot of kids, a lot of people who maybe haven't believed or even watched women's sports, that we're able to go out there and put on a show.”

The idea was floated by Curry and Ionescu after she caught fire in the 3-point contest during the WNBA All-Star Weekend in July, scoring 37 of a possible 40 points, including a streak of 20 triples consecutive. Curry complimented his performance on social media, and the Liberty star returned the volley by suggesting the shootout with the NBA's all-time leader in 3-point shooting and two-time All-Star 3-point contest champion.

“It’s to their credit,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday evening. “I wish I could say that the league, in their lab, came up with this idea. It was Steph and Sabrina, two friends who said, 'Won't this be fantastic?' Steph cares a lot about women's football.

As much as Curry cared, perhaps the greatest show of respect he could give was respecting Ionescu as a competitor. So much so that he spotted her practice session on Friday and tried to knock her off her game.

“He was out there booing me,” Ionescu said. “I’m trying to get into my head.”

Although Curry would not disclose the exact transcript of his jokes, he admitted his intention.

“I try to apply some pressure, of course,” he said.

Curry should have known that Ionescu wasn't the type to be rattled. He met the Bay Area native before she rose to prominence at the University of Oregon as the national player of the year and the NCAA's all-time leader in career triple-doubles.

“You see a different behavior, a different type of killer instinct and focus,” Curry said. “I mean, skill is one thing, but mentality is a totally different thing that you can't teach, and she demonstrated that every step of the way.

“I knew that no matter how much preparation, no scene would be too bright for her.”

Saturday's stage was particularly different from what Ionescu is used to. The shootout took place on a digital LED court atop a football field at Lucas Oil Stadium, although the dimensions were within NBA regulations.

The NBA 3-point line is 23 feet, 9 inches from the basket. The WNBA tape is 22 feet, 1.75 inches. Ionescu said she chose to compete remotely “to just continue to push the boundaries and level the playing field.” Ionescu used the slightly smaller WNBA ball instead of the NBA one Curry uses.

In addition to the championship belt Curry won — which featured two goats affixed to gold panels on either side of the centerpiece — Curry and Ionescu both received $25,000 in donations to their respective charities.

Both men seemed determined to return next year when the Warriors host the All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco and hinted that they could both team up with a partner to expand the event – maybe even with Caitlin, a star at the University of Iowa. Clark, who set the NCAA women's all-time record on Thursday.

“It was so authentic for both of us to be here,” Ionescu said. “Obviously, I'm very grateful to have made this dream come true, because we both had an opportunity, and knowing that it changed the way people are going to perceive what we do, and we're very excited to see what the future holds. Hold on, more people have the opportunity to do things like this.”

Curry added: “For us to put on a show like that, it was perfect. As much excitement as possible in such a short time with two great shooters.

“So it's pretty special. It'll be something we remember for a long time.”