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With the WNBA All-Star Game arriving this weekend, three of the league’s biggest stars reportedly turned down an invite to participate in the 3-Point Contest.
According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, a source told ESPN that the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, and the Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride turned down invites for the upcoming event.
The update arrived soon after the six participants for this year’s contest were revealed. The Dallas Wings’ Azzi Fudd, Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey, Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard, Seattle Storm’s Natisha Hiedeman, Golden State Valkyries’ Janelle Salaun, and Portland Fire’s Bridget Carleton will compete.
Clark and Ionescu are among the league’s top stars, with Clark selected for her third All-Star Game in three seasons and Ionescu having played in four of them since joining the league in 2020. The New York Liberty star isn’t part of this year’s game, but her teammates, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones, will represent the team.
Read more: Caitlin Clark Addresses Technical Foul Issue Amid WNBA Suspension Concern
Of the three declining players, Clark and McBride currently rank in the top seven for average 3-pointers made per game. McBride is fourth overall with 2.6 per game, while Clark is just below her with 2.5 per game.
Clark has recently been working her way back into more minutes for the Fever after dealing with an ongoing back injury. She recorded a historic 45-point and 10-assist game in a win over the Seattle Storm.
The Liberty’s Ionescu has played in fewer games than the other two stars. She sat out several weeks with an ankle injury and also had a lingering back injury. In the 14 games she played for the Liberty this season, she’s averaged 1.8 3-pointers per game.
She won last year’s 3-point contest, when she made 11 shots in a row and finished with a final-round score of 30 to defeat Sonia Citron. Ionescu gave half of her prize money to Citron, and the other half to her SI20 Foundation.
Not having those three players is disappointing due to their star power. However, this year’s participants will potentially showcase the skills and talents of newer stars, including the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Fudd, and All-Stars Mabrey and Howard.
The WNBA 3-Point Contest arrives along with the Shooting Stars on Friday, July 24. The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena is on Saturday, July 25.
More news: Caitlin Clark Puts WNBA on Notice After Making History in Fever Win
For more about the WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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