Sabrina Ionescu Offers 3-Point Advice to Liberty Teammate

The calm before a New York Liberty civil war storm will be anything but.

Before she and Breanna Stewart do battle against Jonquel Jones in Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game, Sabrina Ionescu will be cheering her future opponent on in the Starry 3-Point Contest, which will be part of a Friday prelude in Phoenix (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). Ionescu and Stewart are repping the Olympic-bound United States’ national team while Jones is one of several WNBA All-Stars assembled for the ultimate tune-up.

Ionescu, the most recent winner of the event, offered advice for Jones as her long-distance moment loomed on Friday afternoon. The reigning three-point queen stayed humble, as she has only done the WNBA edition once (leaving out the co-ed shootout she had with Golden State Warriors shooter Stephen Curry at February’s NBA All-Star festivities) but advised that Jones center on singles in a competition of treys.

“I would say it’s trying to lock in on one shot at time. I think it can get overwhelming kind of just knowing who’s shooting,” Ionescu said. “Great shooters are in it this year. The crowd usually gets into it a lot and it’s really just you and the basket.”

While the stakes are somewhat raised … insurance company Aflac has pledged a $55,000 bonus for the winner … Ionescu also believes that pure fun fuels the competition and advised Jones to embrace such carefree glory.

“I think it’s trying not to overthink too much about how many shots you’re going to take but just staying locked in at one shot at a time and enjoying it. I think you’ve got to have fun. It’s a fun competition to be a part of and I’m excited for JJ. Obviously, she’s a great shooter and I think she’s going to have a lot of fun as well.”

Speaking alongside Ionescu, Stewart offered her own advice, telling Jones to be sure to stink the “Starry” balls, leather branded by the lemon-lime soda and worth more points from a greater distance. Ionescu happily told Stewart “you should’ve done it!” while the defending WNBA MVP playfully bemoaned the fact she wasn’t invited.

It’s been just about a year since Ionescu dropped not only 37 of a possible 40 points in the preceding long distance shootout but also the jaws of the basketball-loving public: such an effort set a record in both the men’s and women’s competition and was part of a whirlwind year-plus for Ionescu, who is set to make her Olympic maiden voyage after sinking a WNBA-record 128 three-pointers last season.

Ionescu will watch from the sidelines this time around, opting to use what little free time she has to practice with her American teammates. Jones will face former Liberty teammate Stefanie Dolson (Washington), as well as Allisha Gray (Atlanta), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut), and Kayla McBride (Minnesota).

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