One of the highlights of NBA All-Star Weekend this year was when Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu competed in an NBA vs. WNBA 3-point shootout ahead of the Saturday night slate of events. Curry narrowly beat Ionescu by racking up 29 points to her 26, but almost immediately after it was over, both players mentioned they would like to run it back at next year's festivities.
"I don't know if anybody can fill these shoes, but it might have to be something that we do more often," Curry said after winning the inaugural event in February.
While nothing is official yet, Shams Charania reported Curry vs. Ionescu Part 2 is very likely to happen during NBA All-Star Weekend in February 2025. Not only that, but it could be expanded to feature a 2 vs. 2 battle that would include Iowa star Caitlin Clark as well as Klay Thompson joining the shootout. Charania also mentioned that Damian Lillard could be a candidate for the competition. With All-Star Weekend taking place in the Bay Area next year, that would make a ton of sense as Lillard and Ionescu are both Bay Area natives.
But getting Clark to compete would be must-watch television, as the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft is a generational 3-point shooter. On Monday, she led the Hawkeyes to their second straight trip to the Final Four after they beat the defending champions LSU. Clark dropped 41 points, including nine 3-pointers, the latter of which set an NCAA tournament single-game record. Between her and Ionescu, who broke the WNBA single-season 3-point record last season, the sharp-shooting duo would be incredibly tough competition for Curry and whoever decides to partner up with him.
While this past season's All-Star Weekend attracted its fair share of criticism, one bright spot was the NBA vs. WNBA 3-point shootout. There was excitement and interest in this type of competition, and the future is bright. And as Ionescu said after almost beating Curry, it showed that regardless of gender, "If you can shoot, you can shoot."
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