Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu: WNBA star to shoot from NBA 3-point line to 'equal the playing field'

Kyle Irving

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Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu: WNBA star to shoot from NBA 3-point line to 'equal the playing field' image

Two of the best shooters on the planet are set to face off when Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu go head-to-head in a 3-Point Challenge on All-Star Saturday Night.

Ionescu sparked the showdown when she set a 3-Point Contest record at WNBA All-Star Weekend over the summer, collecting 37 of 40 possible points while only missing two shots. At one point, she went on a heater and buried 20 consecutive triples.

That ignited a reaction from Curry, who called the performance, "RIDICULOUS!"

Ionescu responded to Curry, asking, "Shoot out??" which led to this brand new event at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

But now that the event is official, Ionescu wants to make sure the playing field is as even as possible. She will still shoot with a women's ball, but the Liberty superstar is up for the challenge of shooting from the NBA 3-point line.

MORE: Predicting the winner of Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu

Why is Sabrina Ionescu shooting from NBA 3-point line vs. Stephen Curry?

Ionescu never shied away from the challenge of shooting from the NBA 3-point line instead of the WNBA mark.

Right when the event was confirmed, the WNBA star was quick to repost a tweet from the NBA, saying, "I'll shoot from the NBA line... LETS GET IT!!!!!!!"

Ahead of the event on Saturday, Ionescu confirmed that she will, indeed, be firing away from NBA range.

"That decision to move to the NBA [3-point] line was something that I wanted to do from the beginning, to just continue to push boundaries and equal the playing field," Ionescu said confidently.

"Knowing that I had the opportunity to do that, in terms of picking where I wanted to shoot from and just continuing to move the needle in that direction is what I wanted to do. No matter how challenging or difficult that decision seems, I'd rather go down fighting for what I believe I'm capable of doing."

A true competitor, you have to respect Ionescu's decision to eliminate any possible excuses if she takes down the NBA's all-time 3-point leader.

MORE: The key stats you need to know for Steph vs. Sabrina

NBA vs. WNBA 3-point line distance

The NBA 3-point line is one foot and 7.25 inches further than the WNBA line at the top of the key and just three inches further in the corners.

The NBA's 3-point line is 23 feet and nine inches away from the basket at the top of the key. The 3-point line is slightly closer in the corners at 22 feet away from the basket.

The WNBA's 3-point line is 22 feet and 1.75 inches away from the basket at the top of the key, and then 21 feet and nine inches at the corners.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.