On Saturday, the best male shooter in the world, Steph Curry, took on the best female shooter in the world, Sabrina Ionescu, in a historic head-to-head contest. Since its announcement, Steph vs. Sabrina had equal amounts of hype and controversy, but it was an unquestioned success that exceeded expectations. It was a business success for the NBA and a triumph for the public perception of the WNBA and women’s basketball as a whole.
Steph vs. Sabrina was a Massive Success for the NBA and WNBA
On-Court Competition
Going into Steph vs. Sabrina, no one was really sure how Ionescu would adapt to the NBA 3-point line. She insisted that it would make no difference for her, but most critics dismissed it as the typical bravado of an athlete. However, she ultimately backed up her talk, scoring an amazing 26.
For comparison, that 26 score would have been enough to match Damian Lillard, Karl Anthony-Towns, Trae Young, and Tyrese Haliburton‘s 4-way tie in the NBA 3 point contest. Ionescu’s score would have been enough to beat the scores of NBA stars like Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, and Lauri Markkanen.
Unfortunately for Ionescu, Curry is the greatest shooter who ever lived and is a 3-point machine. His 29 point performance would easily have won the regular 3 point contest and narrowly beat out Ionescu’s 26 point performance. Still, it was an amazing showing from the WNBA’s best that earned her a lot of respect from the NBA faithful.
Ratings Bonanza for Steph vs. Sabrina
According to NBAPR, viewership for NBA All Star Saturday was up a whooping 54% compared to last year. Furthermore, the viewership peaked at 5.4 million viewers for the Steph vs. Sabrina event. The average NBA game on TNT draws 1.5-2 million viewers and the most hyped matchups like Lakers-Celtics, Heat-Celtics, and Warriors-Lakers draw 2.0-2.5 million viewers. That means that the event drew more than double what the most hyped matchups that the regular NBA can offer normally draw.
Already, the success of the event has caused many fans to ask for a rematch or an expanded version for next year’s All Star weekend. With ratings like these, the NBA execs are sure to deliver the hyped rematch next year.
Spotlight on the WNBA
This was an unprecedented spotlight for the WNBA and women’s basketball as a whole. Since its inception in 1996, the WNBA has struggled to gain a foothold in the minds and TVs of American sports viewers. The ratings have traditionally not been great and the attendance has not exactly filled up arenas. However, things seem to be looking up for the WNBA as of late.
The Las Vegas Aces have been the most successful team in the league in terms of ratings and attendance since their formation in 2018. Last season, they averaged more fans per game than the supposedly major league Oakland A’s did (by over 30% too). Beyond just the Aces, Caitlin Clark has been a sensation in college basketball, averaging 32.8 PPG this season in the NCAA. Even people who have never watched a minute of women’s basketball have heard of Caitlin Clark. She recently broke the all-time D1 women’s scoring record in typical Clark fashion, with a 40 foot logo 3 pointer that seemed impossible until it went in. She will instantly be the WNBA’s biggest star as soon as she enters the league.
However, once she gets there, Clark will have to compete with the shooting wizardry of Ionescu, who was widely regarded as the best female shooter in the world prior to Steph vs. Sabrina. During the event, Ionescu proved to be one of the best shooters in the world, regardless of gender. Her quote after the contest became instantly viral and is already being heavily used in Nike marketing campaigns: “If you can shoot, you can shoot.” Regardless of how the Clark vs. Ionescu rivalry turns out, the future of the WNBA and women’s basketball at large has never looked so bright.
The Last Word
After the Steph vs. Sabrina event, the public opinion was unwaveringly positive. Users on every prominent social media site were giving Ionescu a lot of credit for her performance and reinforcing Curry’s claim as the greatest shooter who ever lived. Many were calling for the rematch at either next year’s All-Star game or the WNBA All-Star game. Still, others were calling for a contest including the aforementioned Clark and Lillard, the 2nd best shooter in the NBA. There were suggestions of a tag-team style competition like Curry/Ionescu vs. Lillard/Clark. Regardless of the ultimately decided format for the contest, the ratings are sure to be amazing. Led by stars like Ionescu and Clark, women’s basketball in the US has a very bright future.
