Sabrina Ionescu will be in the Bay Area for All-Star weekend, but there’s a catch

2024 was a landmark year for women’s basketball as the sport recruited more people than ever before on its way to completion historic media rights agreement of the VNBA. Kaitlyn Clark was undoubtedly the biggest draw at both the collegiate and professional levels. But Sabrina Ionescu he also played a big role in pushing the game forward.

The New York Liberty Sagittarius has entered another level of fame, draining one of the most important recordings in league history while helping the franchise win its first championship in October. However, a few months before he achieved that special moment, Ionescu made a different kind of history. She fought Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry in the inaugural 3-Point Challenge at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick impressed fans and inspired many young female athletes with his remarkable performance. She fell to the all-time leading scorer, 29-26, but still made a strong statement. Will Ionescu look to finish what she started?

Given the excitement and fierce competition generated by the first battle, the NBA plans to continue the competition at NBA All-Star Weekend in 2025. The festivities are held at the Warriors’ Chase Center, making Curry a safe bet to defend his title. Ionescu grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so many fans are clamoring for her involvement as well.

Just a three-time All-VNBA Second Team selection provided a key update without directly announcing her participation in the 3-point shootout. “Ionescu says she will be in the Bay Area during NBA All-Star Weekend (her hometown), but has not confirmed any activities she may be participating in,” ESPN’s Kendra Andrews reported for X.

Will 2025’s 3-point shooting be better than last year’s?

While nothing is official, this development is a huge step towards securing a rematch. A significant modification is expected. Last spring, NBA insider Shams Charania revealed that the plan was to pair Curry with former Warriors splash brother Klay Thompson against Sabrina Ionescu and the phenom Kaitlyn Clark. If this quartet of snipers commits to the competition, they’ll likely steal the headlines on Valentine’s Day weekend.

There would surely have been a stir if the 27-year-old guard had been sitting on the sidelines at the event. In defeat, she caused great respect. Now she will be even more motivated to triumph. The association wants to inject new enthusiasm into this three-day period, and this two-on-two proposal is a potential way to do that.

There’s still some time before an official announcement is made, but most of the basketball-watching world expects to see Ionescu sink buckets at the Chase Center on February 15th.