by Hadley Fay (’26) | March 1, 2024
On the weekend of February 16, Indianapolis hosted the 73rd NBA All-Star Game. This tradition first began in 1951 and features some of the league’s top competitors, facing off in both games and skill challenges. NBA fans typically know what to expect from this weekend of athletic entertainment. However, this year, a new event made its debut, which left people thinking about something they may not have expected: how gender is perceived within professional sports.
Sabrina Ionescu, a twenty-six year-old woman, is a member of the WNBA and plays for New York Liberty. Prior to being drafted into the league as a number one recruit, Ionescu attended and played basketball at the University of Oregon, where she quickly became a dominating force and broke several records. She has continued to make history since becoming a professional, boasting over 120 three-pointers made in the 2023 season, a new WNBA record.
In July of last year, Ionescu had yet another claim to fame when she set the all-time bar for the highest three-point contest score in both NBA and WNBA history with thirty-seven points during the final round, missing only two shots out of a total of twenty-seven. Many marveled at Ionescu’s shooting ability, including Stephen Curry, a player for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, who is widely considered to be the best shooter of all time. Curry has won two three-point contests himself and has the most career three-pointers in the NBA.
Following a comment Curry made on social media to Ionescu expressing his amazement at her success, Ionescu playfully challenged him to a one-on-one shooting contest in her reply. This challenge was brought to reality with the NBA’s addition of Curry and Ionescu facing off in a Starry shooting event during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend. This would be the first time that players from both the NBA and the WNBA would compete directly.
The rules were simple. Five racks, with five balls per rack, were placed around the three-point line on a court. Four out of the five racks had four regular balls worth one point if the shot was made and one “money ball” worth two points. One rack contained five “money balls” and its placement around the three-point line was up to each competitor when it was their turn to shoot. Additionally, there were two final balls called Starry long range balls and were positioned further out, worth three points each. However, some concerns arose when laying out the rules for the competition because of the slight differences between the NBA and the WNBA. The WNBA three-point line is closer to the basket than the NBA line. Additionally, the WNBA balls are smaller than the NBA ones. It was eventually agreed upon that Ionescu would shoot from the NBA three-point line, but would use an WNBA ball.
Ionescu stepped up to the line first, delivering an impressive score of twenty-six points, notably tying the highest score of the NBA competition prior to her own. Curry followed suit, earning a final score of twenty-nine points and securing a narrow but equally impressive victory. Despite her loss, Ionescu remained in high spirits, declaring, “I think a night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that if you can shoot, you can shoot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or boy, it just matters the heart you have and wanting to be the best that you can be.”
Regardless of the outcome, Ionescu’s superb performance brought up questions with regard to women’s and men’s sports and how the world of athletics perceives the two. Many have become excited at the possibility of having more head-to-head contests between both male and female athletes in order to achieve a more equal appreciation, while still others are determined to undermine Ionescu’s performance. Nevertheless, Sabrina Ionescu is an icon for women’s athletics as a whole and a huge inspiration to the world of sports.