Move over Curry

Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty won the WNBA 3-point contest recently in Las Vegas.  Ionescu scored 37 of a possible 40 total points in the final round, the highest single-round record by either an NBA or WNBA player in three-point contests.  She tallied 20 straight shots to break Craig Hodges previous streak of 19 from the 1991 NBA shootout. The former Oregon star and number one over-all- draft pick, only missed twice to beat Seattle Storm Sami Whitcomb, who was a far second at 22 points in the final round. Coming in third was Arike Ogunbonwale of the Dallas Wings who wound up with11 points. Ionescu’s production eclipsed Stephen Curry (2021) and Tyrese Haliburton’s (2023) record of 31 points along with Allie Quibly’s Now, Ionescu is challenging Curry to a shootout. Place your bets guys!

Good start, But…

After Filipino skycrapper 7’3 Kai Sotto finally gets to play against the Portland Trailblazers, he showed fans that he’s really a force to reckon with in the future.  Sotto scored six points on a 3-7 shooting, four rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 13 minutes of action for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Summer League. Sotto is hoping to become the first homegrown Filipino to play in the league.  Sotto, 21,  who hails from Las Pinas in the Philippines said, he’s satisfied with his performance in his debut after being benched in the first three games of the Magic.  Sotto still wants to improve his game especially on defense.  He thinks he could be a terror in the paint, but he considers scoring too if the opportunity comes.  The Magic however lost 71-88 to the Blazers and remained winless in the league after losing to the Boston Celtics.  In the game against the Celtics, Sotto was scoreless and did not play in his second half and was injured.

Magnus beat so

Former World Chess champion Magnus Carlsen subdued Filipino-turned American Wesley So 3-1 in their grand finals to win the Online 2023 Aimchess Rapid title.  So tried to come back in Game 3 after losing the first two games, only to be repulsed by Carlsen in Game 4, giving the former world champ the crown and the top purse of $30,000.  So, who was born in Bacoor, Cavite but who now plays for Team U.S.A., pocketed $20,000 for second place.  So, however is not unfazed as being in the finals is already a great feat and who was given up for “dead” after losing to Uzbek prodigy Norirbek Abdusattorou via Armageddon in the quarter-finals.