The stage was set, and all eyes were on Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu for their historic, first-ever 3-point shooting showdown in the All-Star Weekend. While Curry emerged victorious, Sabrina put up an impressive performance, finishing with a score of 29-26. Riding the high of their incredible skills, the duo sat down for a post-game press conference. Then, amid the usual questions, an unexpected sound of a toilet flushing went off. What Curry said next left both Sabrina and the viewers in stitches of laughter.
Someone flushed the toilet during Steph and Sabrina's presser 🤣 pic.twitter.com/byoYsJRSNY
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) February 18, 2024
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During the post-contest interview, Curry expressed his appreciation for the electric atmosphere, the fans, and, “one additional thing.” He said, “to have it with the new floor, 40,000 fans out here, people using bathrooms, all types of chaos around here. For us to deliver you know a show like that it was perfect!” Chef Curry further elaborates, “Like just as much excitement as you can build in that short amount of time you know with two great shooters going at it, so pretty special. This’ll be something to remember for a long time.”
The genesis of the one-of-a-kind shooting game traces back to last year when Ionescu broke the record for the WNBA 3-point contest. Her 25 made shots out of 27 attempts, including a stretch of 20 straight, prompted Curry to admire her on social media, calling it “Ridiculous.” Ionescu’s reply challenging him to a shootout led the NBA to turn it into reality for All-Star Saturday in Indianapolis.
Read More: “True Icon and Legend”: Stephen Curry Hails Pacers Legend Ahead of Sabrina Ionescu Battle
Before the event, Warriors’ superstar Curry emphasized the significance of the match-up. He stated, “It was just a conversation around promoting the WNBA, the NBA, merging our two worlds, don’t know what’s gonna come out of it, but I think me and Sabrina talked about it like, how cool an opportunity it is to do something that’s never been done before in our game. And for her to have a presence on this stage is gonna do a lot to inspire the next generation of young boys and girls that want to compete and see themselves in either one of us.”
Ionescu Levels Up
In an impressive display of sportsmanship, Ionescu chose to shoot from the NBA 3-point line (23 feet, 9 inches) instead of the women’s line (20 feet, 6 inches) to level the playing field, she however used the WNBA ball of course.
Fans voted for Ionescu to shoot first. With five racks of five balls placed at different points around the arc, she started strong, making all her shots from the first rack, which included four standard balls and one “money ball” worth two points. She finished the rack with 26 points, tying for the highest score of the night (also Damian Lillard’s score in the 3-point contest) until Curry stepped up.
As history dictates, Curry thrives under pressure. He made crucial shots on his last rack, including several “money balls,” ultimately finishing with 29 points to secure the victory.
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STEPHEN CURRY HEATS UP LATE TO WIN STEPHEN vs. SABRINA!
Curry: 29 PTS
Ionescu: 26 PTSWhat. A. Battle. https://t.co/hRX4qElqQJ pic.twitter.com/Uu9hmBhUhO
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2024
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Despite their impressive performances, the highlight of the night for many was an unexpected one. The sound of a toilet flushing in the background during the interview made the night take a hilarious turn. Known for his quick wit, Curry used his “Chef’s special humor” to turn the situation into a laugh-out-loud moment. Comment your take below!
Watch the Story: “Neither One of Them Are the Greatest Shooters”: Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu Snubbed for Caitlin Clark by 2x Champion