No Stephen Curry vs Sabrina Ionescu Shootout at the All-Star Game: NBA Shuts it Down to Focus on New Format

The NBA has officially cancelled the highly anticipated rematch between two of the greatest shooters in basketball. Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu won’t follow up on their successful three-point contest from the 2024 All-Star weekend. Instead, the league will prioritize their focus on the new format for Sunday’s All-Star Game.

The sudden news comes as a surprise, as last year’s event was a huge success among the fans. It was the first time the NBA and WNBA integrated on the stage during All-Star weekend. Curry and Ionescu went toe-to-toe as the Liberty star made a name for herself to those who were unfamiliar with her game.

Ionescu finished with an impressive score of 26. That mark would’ve tied Damian Lillard for the highest score in the NBA three-point contest. However, in Curry fashion, his flair for the theatrics stole the crown from the WNBA star. The four-time NBA champion finished with a score of 29 to defeat Ionescu. Their widely successful bout will remain a singular moment in history. NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news while revealing the reasoning for the decision. He said,

“NBA-WNBA shootout with Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu is off. NBA’s Mike Bass: ‘We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment. We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.’”

The NBA wasn’t able to figure out a way to enhance the competition from last year. There was hope that the NBA could integrate WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark into the event. However, she declined the invitation, explaining that she wants the first three-point contest she participates in to be at the WNBA All-Star event in Indianapolis this summer.

Since the league wasn’t able to figure out a way to amp the competition aside from Clark’s participation, they have decided to scrap the event. It allows the NBA to put more focus on honing the new four-team All-Star Game format, which features three teams consisting of NBA All-Stars and the winning team from the Rising Stars game. This decision has sparked various reactions among fans.

Fan reactions to NBA canceling Curry-Ionescu three-point contest

Plenty of fans were looking forward to a rematch between the two stars and are disappointed by the unfortunate news. One fan believes this is a huge fumble on the NBA’s part, since Curry and Ionescu are both legends in the Bay Area, noting it would’ve been great for the city of San Francisco:

“Big fumble for two Bay legends where the event is hosted.”

Another fan believes last year’s contest was the best event during All-Star weekend. They touted frustration with the NBA’s decision-making saying,

“This was the best part of it last year, the NBA can’t ever get sh*t right.”

Many more expressed their confusion. Aside from the All-Star Game itself, Curry isn’t in any other event on All-Star Saturday night. This would be a surprising turn considering the festivities are being held in his home arena. One fan asked for a solution,

“Is Steph really not going to be involved in All-Star Saturday in his home arena? Or will he be added to the regular 3-point contest?”

The NBA hasn’t announced that they are completely shutting the door for the competition to return in the future. If Clark expresses interest in competing, they may resurrect the contest very quickly.