"Takes a lot of courage to be able to do that as a rookie" - Sabrina Ionescu explains why she is giving half of her 3-point contest prize to Sonia Citron

Yahoo

23-07-2025

"Takes a lot of courage to be able to do that as a rookie" - Sabrina Ionescu explains why she is giving half of her 3-point contest prize to Sonia Citron originally appeared on Basketball Network.
New York Liberty superstar guard Sabrina Ionescu claimed the WNBA 3-point contest on Friday night in Indianapolis to become only the second player in league history to win the event more than once, joining Allie Quigley, who won the event a record four times.
Ionescu and defending champion Allisha Gray entered the final round after scoring identical 25s in the first round. But when it mattered most, it was Sabrina who made the baskets as she defeated Gray 30-22 in the championship round.
"It means everything. The last time I was here in Indy against Steph, I lost. So I feel I had to come back and redeem myself," said Ionescu.
Redemption in Indy for Ionescu
It can be recalled that Sabrina was the NBA's guest during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend, also held in Indiana, as she faced off against NBA all-time 3-point leader Stephen Curry in the first-ever NBA versus WNBA 3-point contest.
Ionescu scored 26 points in the one-round affair, matching the highest score by a competitor in the 2024 NBA 3-point contest, which was won by Damian Lillard. However, Curry proved why he is the greatest shooter of all time when he scored 30 points and beat Ionescu in a close contest.
Not only did Ionescu get her redemption on Friday night, but she also made good on her promise to give Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron half of her prize if she won the contest.
"I told Sonia that I would give her half if I won when we were sitting on the bench, as being the only rookie and you know, she was nervous and I was nervous for her. So I obviously have to hold up to my end of the bargain, so half is gonna go to her. I got to text her and let her know that I'm going to give her half of it, just for participating like that. It takes a lot of courage to be able to do that as a rookie. And what she did, I was really proud of her," she said during the post-event presser.Sonia walks home $31K richer thanks to Sabrina
Citron was the No.3 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft out of Notre Dame. The 21-year-old has made 35 out of 96 3-point attempts this season, or 36.5 percent. Although she ranked only in the Top 25 in 3-point shooting, she did not hesitate to accept the invitation even if she was up against stiff competition. And for that, Ionescu is rewarding her with half her prize money. She scored 19 points in the opening round of the contest.
Meanwhile, Ionescu has now won two out of the last three WNBA 3-point contests. She did not participate in last year's event because she was preparing for the 2024 Olympics with the U.S team. When she won in 2023, she made 25 out of 27 total shots and scored 37 points, the most by any player both in the NBA and WNBA.
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark was supposed to be in the event. However, she had to back out at the last minute after suffering a groin injury. She was replaced by teammate Lexie Hull, who held her own with 20 points in her first try at the event. But perhaps the biggest winner is Citron, who went home $30,000 richer, thanks to Ionescu's generosity.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.