New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu has stated that she was never officially invited to the WNBA 3-point contest, countering reports that she declined an invitation to the event.
"I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to. So was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited," Ionescu told reporters. She added that she wanted to "set the record straight" regarding the speculation.
Ionescu has won the 3-point contest twice, including a record-setting 37-point performance in 2023. She expressed excitement for the participants in this year's competition, acknowledging there would be a new winner.
Reports also indicated that stars such as Caitlin Clark and Kayla McBride had declined invitations. McBride also took to social media to state that her agent had not received a formal invitation in the days leading up to the event, suggesting that reports of players being afraid to compete were untrue.
The confirmed participants for the 3-point contest include Dallas' Azzi Fudd, Atlanta's Rhyne Howard, Golden State's Janelle Salaün, Portland's Bridget Carleton, Toronto's Marina Mabrey, and Seattle's Natisha Hiedeman. Howard and Mabrey are the only participants with previous experience in the contest at All-Star weekend.
Despite an ankle injury earlier this season, Ionescu has been averaging 13.8 points per game in 14 appearances this season.