Take a bow, Sabrina Ionescu.
The New York Liberty guard scored 37 out of a possible 40 points Friday in the final round of the All-Star 3-point shooting contest, breaking both the WNBA and NBA records and winning the event at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
The two-time All-Star missed only two of her 27 shots (most balls are worth one point, with some worth two or three points) and made 20 in a row at one point en route to crushing the record of 31 points, previously held by NBA players Stephen Curry and Tyrese Haliburton. The old WNBA record was 30, by Allie Quigley last year.
“I was just focused on making one at a time,” Ionescu said. “I wasn’t sure how many I missed, but I knew it wasn’t a lot, so I’m happy to have won this and thankful for the crowd. They were cheering me on the entire time.”
Ionescu topped the Seattle Storm’s Sami Whitcomb and Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale for the 2023 title.
The Las Vegas Aces’ team of Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum won the skills competition with a time of 44.3 seconds in the final round, easily beating the 58.0 put up by Ionescu and Liberty teammate Courtney Vandersloot.
The WNBA changed the skills format this year, switching to a two-player team event. Four teams were represented, going through an obstacle course that tests all the skills required in a regular game — agility, passing, dribbling and shooting.
“Shouldn’t have missed two,” Ionescu said. “It was the final round. I had just lost in the skills. I wasn’t going to lose again. So, thankful to have only missed two, I guess.”
Quigley, who has won a record four 3-point contests, including the past two, is not playing this season. Her absence cleared the way for someone else to step up, and Ionescu did.
Though Whitcomb had a demanding start to the contest, sinking 28 points in the first round, Ionescu came storming back in the last round.
Ionescu’s sharpshooting has been a key component to the Liberty’s success this year, slotting in with Breanna Stewart and Vandersloot in the starting lineup. Through 16 games played this season, Ionescu has averaged 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
The Liberty, who are 14-4, are percentage points ahead of the Connecticut Sun (15-5) in the Eastern Conference. They will return to action July 19 against Dallas following the All-Star break.
— with AP
