Liberty All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu accepts the 3-Point Shootout championship trophy from WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert Friday night in Las Vegas. AP Photo by Ellen Schmidt
Sabrina Ionescu couldn’t quite defend her Skills Challenge title in Las Vegas last weekend.
So the second-time All-Star shot the lights out in Sin City instead.
Ionescu won the WNBA’s 3-Point Shootout during All-Star weekend at Las Vegas’ Michelob ULTRA Arena, helping Team Stewart to a 143-127 victory over Team Wilson Saturday after making history by drilling 25 of 27 shots from beyond the arc Friday night.
“Shouldn’t have missed two,” Ionescu jabbed after scoring a record-setting 37 of a possible 40 points in the shooting contest. “It was the final round. I had just lost in the skills. I wasn’t going to lose again.”
Ionescu put up the highest score in any WNBA or NBA 3-Point Shootout, drilling 20 consecutive shots at one point.
“I knew they were going in,” she said. “I was telling my agents over there, I didn’t even wait for the ball to get through the net.
“As soon as I shot it, it looked good and I just went down and kept grabbing (basketballs) and was listening to the fans as they were cheering, knowing that they went in. So they were my validation.”
The eye-popping performance drew praise and awe from former WNBA 3-point, record-holder Allie Quigley, who held the previous mark of 30 points.
“UNBELIEVABLE!!! This record won’t ever be broken,” Quigley tweeted.
Stephen Curry, the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, was just as impressed.
“RIDICULOUS!” tweeted Curry, who held the NBA mark of 31 points from his All-Star 3-point shootout championship in 2021.
Ionescu also helped teammate and All-Star captain Breanna Stewart with 18 points, eight assists and six…
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