Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, the reigning champion, have both declined invitations to participate in this year's WNBA 3-Point Contest.
Clark, known for her elite shooting range in college, has never competed in the WNBA 3-Point Contest. Her participation in last season's event was withdrawn due to a groin injury that ultimately ended her season. Ionescu, meanwhile, has missed significant portions of the current season due to injury and is currently shooting a career-low 28.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Sources confirmed that both Clark and Ionescu, along with Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, turned down offers to compete. The list of six participants for the contest during WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago includes All-Stars Marina Mabrey of the Toronto Tempo and Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream. Also competing are No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd of the Dallas Stars, Bridget Carleton of the Portland Fire, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun, and Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman.
Reports indicate that some players invited to the contest declined the invitation. All-Stars Paige Bueckers and Allisha Gray are also not participating.
The participants selected for the contest each average at least two made 3-point shots per game and maintain a 3-point percentage of 35 percent or higher. Neither Clark nor Ionescu currently meet these statistical benchmarks for the season.
This year, the winner of the 3-Point Contest will receive a $20,000 cash prize, with each participant earning $10,000. This marks a notable increase from the previous year, where the winner received less than $3,000, although that amount was supplemented by a $60,000 corporate sponsorship from Aflac. No similar sponsorship has been announced for the current year's event.