NBA scraps Stephen Curry-Sabrina Ionescu 3-point contest

Last year’s NBA All-Star Weekend was highlighted by a 3-point contest between NBA great Steph Curry and WNBA superstar Sabrina Ionescu.

But one year later, the NBA has scrapped plans for a sequel.

ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on Thursday morning that the NBA won’t proceed with another unique 3-point contest like this in 2025. NBA spokesperson Mike Bass commented on the decision.

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.”

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 13, 2025

“We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” Bass said via Charania. “We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.”

While there will be suggestions about what led to this decision, it’s a dispiriting one overall. As All-Star weekends fade in a modern world, last year’s Steph vs. Sabrina showcase was fun for all involved. It also got plenty of attention on television, which matters to a point.

But… that didn’t stop the decision makers from not proceeding on this time.

So, we’ll see how the NBA plans to carry on with their festivities without this. It’s especially disappointing since this year’s All-Star Game is in the Bay Area, which would have been a great thrill for Ionescu and especially the Warriors legend Curry.

But, we’ll have to wait.