WNBA

Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu wins WNBA 3-point contest with record-breaking final round

Ionescu is enjoying a career year from downtown in the regular season

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Sabrina Ionescu shot lights out under the bright lights in Las Vegas.

The New York Liberty star competed in the 3-point contest during WNBA All-Star Weekend at Michelob Ultra Arena on Friday, where she took home the title in dominant fashion.

After finishing second in the first round with 26 points -- two behind first-place finisher Sami Whitcomb of the Seattle Storm -- Ionescu gave Whitcomb and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (21 first-round points) no chance in the final round.

With Whitcomb and Ogunbowale scoring 24 points and 11 in the final round, respectively, Ionescu set an all-time record for the NBA or WNBA with 37 points to be crowned the champion.

In the NBA, the most points scored in a single round of the contest is 31. Both Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors (2021) and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers (2023) hit that total.

In the final round, Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns recorded the most points with 29 in 2022.

Ionescu's display in Vegas wasn't exactly surprising given how elite she's been from long distance during the ongoing campaign. After shooting 35% or below from deep in her first three seasons, the Oregon product is hitting her 3s at a 44.6% clip this year on 7.6 attempts. Both the percentage and volume are current career-high figures.

It's Ionescu's first win in the contest and she ends a two-year winning streak held by Chicago Sky's Allie Quigley, who won in 2021 and 2022. Ionescu had won the Skills Challenge competition in 2022.

The 25-year-old Ionescu will now compete in the WNBA All-Star Game as part of Team Breanna Stewart's squad, which will tip-off at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, July 15.

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