Sabrina Ionescu admits that she was afraid of disappointing the women’s basketball when she challenged Stephen Curry

Women’s sports in the United States have experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Women’s basketball, in particular, has earned a top spot and respect around the world. From the WNBA to high school leagues, these competitions train the sport’s biggest stars.

There’s no denying that the WNBA is in its prime. While comparisons are odious, the WNBA is right behind the NBA, establishing its own path to new levels of competition, infrastructure, economy, and marketing.

Far from being competitors, the two leagues have a good relationship. It’s a healthy rivalry that doesn’t extend beyond social media. NBA players have been seen at some WNBA games, and vice versa, and neither league has a problem with that.

An unforgettable milestone for many fans was the long-distance shooting challenge between Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry during the 2024 All-Star Weekend, before the WNBA season began.

Sabrina was under a lot of pressure in her competition with Curry

She put that pressure on herself, taking on the role that the success of women’s basketball depended entirely on her in the long-range shooting challenge with Curry.

In an interview with Sue Bird’s Bird’s Eye View, Ionescu opened up about her feelings going into such a challenging matchup against one of the world’s best.

“This is probably the second or third time I’ve felt this kind of stress and pressure in women’s basketball. If I had gone out there and missed all the shots, I wouldn’t have seen the light of day. Bad news, bad news,” she explained.

Ionescu shone under extreme pressure, scoring 26 points and hitting her first seven shots in the thrilling three-point duel, breaking NBA records. Still, Steph Curry beat her by just three points in a heart-stopping finish.

What Ionescu was getting at is simple. If Curry had humiliated her, it would have reflected poorly on women’s basketball, and the internet trolls wouldn’t have left her alone for a long time. However, she performed quite well against the Warriors‘ star player and earned everyone’s respect.