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New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu denied a report that she declined to participate in the 2026 WNBA 3-point contest.
“I saw [the report] yesterday. I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to,” Ionescu said while talking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “So I was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited. Whether it’s against Steph Curry or in the W, I always go out and try and beat my record every single time I’ve gone out. So yeah, I mean, I just kind of wanted to set the record straight. That was just false.
“But I’m really excited for the participants in it and obviously there is going to be a new winner, so I’m excited to see who wins.”
ESPN reported Tuesday that Ionescu, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride all declined invitations to participate in the event. Ionescu is a two-time 3-point contest winner. She won the event last year, two years after setting a record (both WNBA and NBA) with a score of 37 in her 2023 win. During that performance, she made 25 of 27 shots, including 20 in a row. She also participated in the historic NBA vs. WNBA “Stephen vs. Sabrina” shootout with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
While Ionescu set the record straight, it is unclear whether or not Clark received an invite. As for McBride, the WNBA’s active leader in career 3-pointers with 796, she said she “received a half ass invite” through a text by her agent.
“Sooo posting things like I’m afraid of shooting smoke is weird and if you didn’t hear it from me prob shouldn’t believe it,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “We should focus on the great shooters in it already!!!”
WNBA fans have been waiting for an Ionescu vs. Clark showdown since Clark — the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history — joined the league in 2024. While this is her third year in the league, the former Iowa star has not participated in a 3-point contest yet. She declined an invitation as a rookie but was set to participate last year. However, she ended up missing both the 3-point contest and All-Star Game because of a groin injury.
While Ionescu, Clark and McBride are out, No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and Marina Mabrey, who leads the league in 3-pointers made this season, are among the participants for the event on Friday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
