Fellow sharpshooters Curry, Robertson talk shop at Warriors game
Oklahoma guard Taylor Robertson has been doing her best Stephen Curry impression for as long as she can remember.
She's spent hours watching his shooting and offball movements, his passing and ball-handling, and has spent her career trying to emulate the Warriors star to the best of her abilities — even stealing part of his pregame warmup routine to incorporate into her own.
“I always wanted to shoot like him, obviously, because he's the greatest shooter of all time,” she said.
Robertson made her idol proud on Saturday when she broke the all-time 3-point record for Division I women's basketball.
Robertson thought she was going to record a reaction video shortly after she set the record on Saturday, drilling her 498th 3-pointer with her first attempt of Saturday's loss to No. 18 Iowa State. Instead, the fifth-year senior was surprised with a video from Curry, who congratulated her on the milestone.
“Now I know you're going to keep adding to that number and probably make it, hopefully, something that will never be broken, but to go from making eight 3s in your first college game against Western Kentucky to now 498, that is an amazing, amazing accomplishment,” Curry said in the video. “I only made 414 3s, so you've had me beat.”
But the surprise didn't end there. With the Warriors coincidentally in town to play the Thunder just two days after she set the record, Curry invited Robertson to Monday night's game so the two sharpshooters could meet in person.
“It's unreal,” a giddy Robertson said pregame. This is “something I dreamed about just being able to meet him, talk to him. It's really cool because I want to play like him.”
Wearing her favorite No. 30 jersey that she purchased last year, Robertson watched Curry, the NBA's all-time 3-point leader, go through his 15-minute warmup routine. She even got an opportunity to participate in a brief part — passing the ball to assistant coach Bruce Fraser before he sent it to Curry, who drained the corner 3. Curry stopped to talk shop with Robertson before heading to the locker room. He again congratulated her on breaking the record.
Curry offered her some additional words of encouragement.
“Just keep going,” Curry told Robertson as she tried to hold back her tears of joy.
“(We) got a lot of our season left and just keep going and be great,” Robertson said. “I was a little nervous, but he's so cool, so nothing to worry about.”
Robertson's Sooners are ranked No. 20 in the latest AP Top 25 poll with a 16-4 overall record and trail co-leaders Iowa State and Texas by just a half-game in the Big 12 standings.
Robertson surpassed former Ohio State star Kelsey Mitchell's record, needing only 138 games to do so — one less than Mitchell. Robertson now has 503 3-pointers over the course of her career and has made at least one in 62 consecutive games. She's shooting a career 44% from deep.
“That is unbelievable,” Curry told her. “Be proud of yourself.”
Curry pulled Robertson in for a tight hug before posing with her for a picture-perfect moment.
“It just shows he's the real G.O.A.T.” Robertson said. “Definitely one of the best off-the-court moments for sure, and it's right up there with all the on-thecourt moments, too.”
After the Warriors beat the Thunder 128-120, a win during which Curry surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for most field goals made in Warriors history, Curry removed his jersey and signed it before handing it off to Robertson. He wrote, “To Taylor, 3-point GOD!!! 498 & Counting...”
“Pretty cool to see her and celebrate her accomplishment,” Curry said. “She made eight 3s in her first college game and I made eight tonight, so kind of a cool connection.”