Golden State Warriors legend Steph Curry and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu will not square off in a 3-point shootout rematch at the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, league spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement on Thursday.
“We weren’t able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year’s special moment,” Bass said. “We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday’s new format.”
Curry and Ionescu thrilled fans last year at the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis with a unique NBA vs. WNBA matchup to crown the best 3-point shooter. The event, which Curry won, 29-26, breathed new life into an annual All-Star Saturday Night that had lost some luster in recent years, and both parties expressed interest in a reprisal in the Bay Area.
“For us to deliver a show like that, it was perfect,” Curry said after his win. “As much excitement as you can build in that short amount of time with two great shooters going at it. This is something we’ll remember for a long time… I don’t know if anybody can fill these shoes, but it might have to be something that we do more often.”
Ionescu concurred. “Hopefully this isn’t the last time we do this,” she said.
There had been discussions about turning the contest into a two-on-two matchup on the Warriors’ home floor, with Curry reuniting with his former Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, and Ionescu teaming up with 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.
Convincing Clark, however, proved difficult, and she ultimately declined the invitation in late January. “Caitlin will not be at NBA All-Star,” Clark’s representatives at Excel Sports Management said. “She wants her first 3-point contest to be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer.”
Fever’s Caitlin Clark will not participate in 3-point shootout at 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend
Jack Maloney
There still seemed to be enough time for the league to figure out an alternative, even if it was a one-on-one rematch between Curry and Ionescu. After all, Curry and the Warriors are playing host this weekend, and Ionescu was born and raised in the Bay Area.
But as the days went by, there was silence from the league, even as the contestants for the other All-Star Saturday Night events were revealed. A social media post from Curry on Tuesday seemed to hint at an announcement, but that was apparently not about a rematch.
In the end, the NBA decided to scrap the contest altogether, which is a shame. Millions of fans were looking forward to a rematch, which was arguably the most anticipated event of the entire weekend.
