For the third year in a row, there will be no Sabrina Ionescu vs Caitlin Clark in the three-point contest at the WNBA All-Star weekend. How can it, when Ionescu was not invited at all?

While there were initial reports that claimed Ionescu declined the invite for this year's three-point contest, New York Post reporter Madeline Kenney's conversation with the Liberty star says otherwise.

“I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to. So 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. Like that was just false. But I'm really excited for the participants in it, and obviously there's going to be a new winner, so I'm excited to see who wins.” Ionescu told Kenney.

It's not like Ionescu is a rookie compared to the other competitors in the three-point contest.

On the contrary, Ionescu is so fun to watch shoot threes that the NBA created a special “Stephen vs. Sabrina” NBA vs. WNBA 3-Point Challenge during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.

The season before that as well, Ionescu went all out with  a whopping 25-of-27 attempts, prompting Ryan Ruocco to famously deem it “the greatest performance we have ever seen in this contest.” To this day, it’s a record that still holds.

Apart from Ionescu, Clark and Kayla McBride were also the missing big names in the contest. But Ionescu’s status as one of the WNBA’s most feared snipers will undoubtedly hold steady.

Sabrina Ionescu's 2026 Season

Ionescu had to face injury issues in the ankle and the back, which disrupted her rhythm at the start. However, she is back to her best this month, averaging 19.5 points per game.

In her last meeting, Sabrina showed how it's done against the Dallas Wings. The Liberty came from behind in the back-and-forth contest as Sabrina tied for the most makes without a single missed shot in overtime in WNBA history, per ESPN Insights.

Ionescu followed that with a 29-point performance against the Chicago Sky, as the Liberty barely won the contest 95-94.

Ionescu will have a well-deserved break thanks to the All-Star weekend, but will be back on July 29 to face the Los Angeles Sparks.

So, why do you think the likes of Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark are not taking part in the three-point contest? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy