“If you can shoot, you can shoot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl.” That’s what Sabrina Ionescu boldly declared after clinching the 2025 WNBA All-Star Three-Point Contest title. Sure, she didn’t win that battle, but make no mistake, she made history. Ionescu dropped 26 points using a WNBA ball from NBA-distance racks, in front of a staggering 5.4 million viewers. This was a big victory for Ionescu, and she immediately called the King of Three’s, Stephen Curry, after her win.

Ionescu put on a mesmerizing display of shooting, on her way to claiming the Three-point queen crown for the second time.

It all came up as Ionescu put on yet another shooting clinic, reclaiming her crown at All-Star weekend for the second time. The Liberty guard, who first won the title in 2023 with a jaw-dropping record 37-point round, returned to lock horns with the defending champion, Allisha Gray. And Saby did what Saby does, she went whoosh.

Dropping a blazing 30-point round, she set the bar too high for Gray, who managed 22 and couldn’t catch up. The moment Ionescu held that trophy, she dialed the GOAT of three-pointers, and her idol. “I called Steph and showed off the trophy,” she laughed. Well, it was the perfect full-circle moment, considering the last time she was in Indianapolis, she had lost the title to him on that very same court. But if you think she walked away satisfied, she didn’t.

It’s because when asked post-contest about the importance of her performance on such a big stage, Saby didn’t sugarcoat her feelings. “Well, I’m pretty disappointed. I feel like I missed a few easy ones there that I definitely could have made, so I’m sorry about that,” she said honestly.

And can you blame her? This is the same Ionescu averaging 18.7 points per game this season, with a sharp 31.1% from beyond the arc. The same Ionescu who once dared to challenge Stephen Curry—then a two-time NBA Three-Point Contest winner—on equal terms. And she didn’t want any shortcuts. Although she was allowed a shorter distance in that co-ed challenge, she requested to shoot from the same NBA range as Curry.

So, while she lost, she left with a respectable score, proving she belonged. Let’s not forget that legendary 37-out-of-40 round, an all-time record, that saw her sink 20 shots in a row. Remember her back in 2023? She played 36 games and averaged 3.6 made threes per game, shooting a blistering 44.8% from deep. That’s not just good, it’s elite volume and efficiency rarely seen outside of the NBA’s best sharpshooters.

And that’s why even  Steph himself once said about her: “She knows who she is… the skill is one thing, but the mentality is a totally different thing that you kind of can’t teach.” So yes, years before Caitlin Clark became the queen of logo threes in the W, Sabrina Ionescu was already there, drilling them with swagger. So when she says she’s “disappointed” with a 30-point round? It’s not just about the shots she missed. But if you ask about using the platform, you already know she’s a lot more satisfied than ever.

Saby didn’t just win, she then shared the fame too!

When Saby won the 2025 WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest, she proved she’s not just a sharpshooter but also a big heart off the court. That’s because she quickly turned the spotlight onto a rising star, Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron, in a hilarious and heartwarming way.

During the post-contest press conference, Saby revealed that she had promised Citron half of her prize money if she won. “Well, I told Sonia that I would give her half if I won,” she said with a smile. “We were sitting on the bench, hers being the only rookie, and she was nervous, and I was nervous for her.” Well, that simple, heartfelt gesture speaks volumes about Ionescu’s commitment to uplifting the next generation.

So yes, it wasn’t just the 10 shots she missed, it was also about giving confidence to a young rookie. This gesture is a testament to the fact that she is a natural leader: One who leads by example, and not by just words.