'Let's Getttttt It!' Liberty's Ionescu Destined For 3-Point Clash With Curry?

Outside shooting legend Stephen Curry apparently plans to challenge New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu in a three-point shootout.

Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry sound ready to take it outside.

The New York Liberty star was on Curry's mind as his Golden State Warriors prepared to face the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. While taking pregame warmup shots with teammate Brandin Podziemski, Curry expressed playful jealousy that Ionescu's record-breaking performance at the most recent WNBA 3-Point Contest in Las Vegas took down his own historic outing during the NBA's 2021 competition (since tied by Tyrese Haliburton in last year's opening round).

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

"I think I gotta bring her out," Curry, mic'd up for TNT's national coverage, tells Podziemski. "We've got to settle this once and for all.”

Ionescu's jaw-dropping performance in the 3-Point Contest's final round saw her earn 37 of a possible 40 points to set the new record, beating out Curry's mark from Atlanta by six.

If Curry's looking to set something up, he's going to the right source: Ionescu and Podziemski are both clients of WME Sports' Bill Duffy. Ionescu accepted Curry's unofficial challenge on X, quoting the NBA account's posting of the fateful conversation.

"Let’s getttttt it!! See ya at the 3 pt line, [sic]" Ionescu says, capping her post off with a curious emoji depicting wandering eyes. 

As the Warriors battled the Kings, Shams Charania of The Athletic hinted that the wheels were in motion to get the shooters on the floor together during the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in Indianapolis, reporting that an "exciting competition" was ahead.

Ionescu recently wrapped up her third full season in New York, which featured a victory in the Commissioner's Cup in-season competition and her first appearance in the WNBA Finals. 

En route to second-team All-WNBA honors for the second consecutive season, Ionescu once again flexed her muscles from the outside, setting a league record with 128 successful triples (breaking Diana Taurasi's 17-year stranglehold on the mark). Ionescu also ranked third in three-point success rate at 44.8 percent.

As a native of the Bay Area, Ionescu has often cited Curry as an inspiration, mentioning that Curry reached out to her during her first WNBA experiences in the Bradenton bubble during the 2020 season. Curry's three-point prowess has been cited as a paradigm-shifter in the modern NBA, which has witnessed an offensive explosion thanks in part to increased efforts from the outside. 

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Curry and the Warriors (19-23) are due to visit Ionescu's dwelling at Barclays Center on Feb. 5 when they take on the Brooklyn Nets. They'll return to Gotham just over three weeks later to face the New York Knicks on Feb. 29. Meanwhile, Ionescu's fourth full season is set to tip off on May 15 in Washington.