The New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu won the 2023 WNBA Three-Point Contest with a record-setting score of 37 points in the final round to beat the Seattle Storm's Sami Whitcomb and Dallas Wings' Arike Ogunbowale.
Ionescu missed just two shots for the entirety of her run, reeling off 14 makes during one stretch. It was a performance for the ages.
ESPN @espnSABRINA IONESCU COULD NOT MISS‼️<a href="">#WNBAAllStar</a> <a href="">
Cork Gaines, Ph.D. @CorkGainesHOLY SH*T. Sabrina Ionescu missed her first shot in the finals and then made 25 of the next 26!<a href="">#WNBA</a>
Shawn Kopelakis @shawn_kopelakisSabrina Ionescu just pulled Larry Bird. The only thing missing was leaving her finger in the air on the last shot.
Doug Smith: Raptors @SmithRapsThat Sabrina Ionescu shooting display was other-worldly. Holy crap!
Kareem Copeland @kareemcopelandSabrina Ionescu lighting the nets on fire
naema @naemaj11That record Sabrina Ionescu set won't be broken for a looooong time. What an incredible performance 🔥
Ogunbowale went first and had a round that mirrored her season as a whole. A 29.8 percent three-point shooter in 2023, she recorded just 11 points.
Then Ionescu caught fire to put the competition well out of reach for Whitcomb. Her score of 24 might have looked better in some years but paled in comparison to what Ionescu produced.
Three-Point Contest Results
1. Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty: 26, 37
2. Sami Whitcomb, Seattle Storm: 28, 24
3. Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings: 21, 15
4. DiJonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun: 18
T5. Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces: 15
T5. Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever: 15
Four-time three-point champion Allie Quigley decided to sit out this season, opening the door for another star to become the undisputed three-point queen of the WNBA.
Ionescu and the Las Vegas Aces' Jackie Young entered as the top two favorites.
Young has transformed into an elite shooter since entering the WNBA. Through her first three seasons, she hit just 22 three-pointers. Now, she headed into the All-Star break with a league-high 48.5 percent clip from the perimeter.
Ionescu has likewise adapted her game to play off the ball following the offseason arrivals of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot. Her 54 three-pointers trail only the Seattle Storm's Jewell Loyd, and she has converted 44.6 percent of her opportunities.
But it was Whitcomb who set the pace in the first round. She nailed her final money ball to finish with a score of 28, two ahead of Ionescu.
WNBA @WNBAAn elite shooting performance by <a href="">@SamBam32</a> to lead all scorers with 28 in the first round of the <a href="">#Starry3PT</a> Contest | <a href="">@starrylemonlime</a> <a href="">
WSLAM @wslamSAMIIIIIII WHITCOMB SAID "HELLO" <a href="">
martin rickman @martinrickmansami whitcomb's jumper is so pretty
ClutchPoints @ClutchPointsAppSami Whitcomb of the Seattle Storm now takes the lead over Sabrina Ionescu in the first round of the 3-point contest with 28 points🔥 <a href=""> <a href="">
Young had a day she'll want to forget. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick was unable to find her stroke and struggled from the outset. She also bypassed one of the Starry-branded balls entirely, missing out on the opportunity to bank three valuable points.
Chris Williamson @CWilliamson44Jackie Young looked at that Starry Ball like <a href="">
Aces fans still had plenty of reason to celebrate Friday after Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum combined to win the Skills Challenge.
Ionescu and Vandersloot finished runner-up to the Las Vegas contingent, so that might have provided some motivation going into the Three-Point Contest.
Now, the question is whether Quigley, who was on hand to watch the event, feels compelled to come back in 2024 to take back her crown.
