NEW YORK – Sabrina Ionescu’s 2024 WNBA season was nothing short of magical. She led the New York Liberty to their first-ever championship, basking in ticker tape glory. But the offseason? That’s time for something a bit more… casual. Like, say, plotting to take down the Splash Brothers in a three-point shootout. No big deal.
During her appearance on Big 10 Tailgate—the show for sports fans who think tailgating is an Olympic sport—Ionescu dropped some tantalizing news. When asked whom she’d team up with for a 3-point duel against Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Liberty star didn’t hesitate. Her pick? Iowa sharpshooter Caitlin Clark. Yeah, because when you’re going up against the greatest shooter of all time, you need someone who can hit threes from another zip code.
“If I would have to choose, I’m taking Caitlin Clark on my team,” Ionescu said with a smirk, as if casually assembling one of the most dangerous duos in basketball history was just another Tuesday. (2:46 mark if you want the receipts.)
Big 3-Point Energy
For those of you who missed it, Ionescu already proved she’s no slouch in the art of long-range bombing. She smashed the 3-point contest record last season, leaving Steph and Klay sweating bullets at the thought of facing her. You know Curry had to be thinking, “Wait, she made how many threes?!”
And now, with Caitlin Clark potentially joining forces, the NBA might as well hand over the 3-point contest trophy to Team Ionescu before anyone embarrasses themselves trying to keep up.
“Steph and Klay who?” you can almost hear fans whispering. Well, maybe not, but it’s fun to imagine.
Sabrina’s Spectacular Season
Let’s not forget what Ionescu just accomplished. In the 2024 postseason, she was an absolute machine. The Liberty fought their way to the Finals, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in a five-game slugfest. Ionescu wasn’t just playing through pain—she was thriving in it. Game 4 saw her injure her hand, but instead of using that as an excuse, she used it as motivation, like a basketball Terminator. (Hand injury? Never heard of her.)
In her 38 regular-season games, Ionescu averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and exactly 1 steal per game. She wasn’t just hitting threes at a clip of 33.3%—she was also out there doing everything else, proving she’s much more than a one-trick pony. The Liberty needed her, and boy, did she deliver.
MVPs on MVPs
As if running a 3-point clinic with Clark wasn’t enough, Ionescu also reflected on what it’s like playing with not one, but two MVPs—Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. Yes, because everyone needs that much star power on one team.
“I mean, so easy, I’m playing with MVPs,” Ionescu said, sounding like she’s been transported into some basketball dreamland. To her credit, learning from Stewart and Jones has helped her evolve into one of the most versatile players in the league. But can we take a moment to appreciate the sheer absurdity of having three top-tier talents on the same squad? It’s like forming a WNBA super-team just to flex on the rest of the league.
What’s Next?
So what’s next for Ionescu? Aside from world domination, it looks like a possible rematch of the 3-point shootout, this time with Klay Thompson potentially joining forces with Curry. If that happens, basketball fans everywhere might witness an apocalypse of 3-pointers. And while Steph and Klay can rest easy knowing they’ve already cemented themselves as NBA legends, they’d better bring their A-game, because Ionescu and Clark are gunning for them.
You can almost hear the basketballs bouncing, the crowd’s anticipation, and the Splash Brothers thinking, “How did we get roped into this?”
One thing’s for sure—if this matchup actually happens, it’s going to be legendary. And in the meantime, we’ll just have to keep dreaming about the day Ionescu and Clark take the court together, raining threes like it’s a meteor shower.
