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The lineup for this year’s WNBA All-Star 3-point contest has been a talking point in the sports world since it was announced.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu was among the most notable players absent from the annual competition.
Ionescu addressed the speculation ahead of Wednesday’s Liberty-Sky matchup, pushing back against reports that she chose not to participate in this weekend’s WNBA 3-point contest in Chicago.
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“I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to. So, was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited,” the defending 3-point contest champion told reporters pregame.
Caitlin Clark and Kayla McBride were also among the high-profile stars who reportedly declined invitations to the competition.
“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,” said Ionescu, who has won the 3-point contest twice, highlighted by her record-setting 37-point performance in 2023.
“I just kind of wanted to set the record straight,” she continued. “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 later referenced her previous 3-point showdown with Stephen Curry when asked a follow-up about the issue.
“Maybe I’ll do it with Steph again at NBA All-Star and get a really nice official invite,” she said.
The confirmed list of 3-point contest participants includes 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 players in that group with prior 3-point contest experience at All-Star weekend.
Earlier this week, Ionescu refuted a report that she had opted out of this year’s festivities, commenting “lies” under a since-deleted Bleacher Report Instagram post. McBride also weighed in via social media, saying her agent had texted her about the event in the 48 hours before her Instagram story post, but no formal invitation ever came.
“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,” McBride wrote. “We should focus on the great shooters in it already!!! Because there’s some killas in there.”
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Despite dealing with an ankle injury early this season, Ionescu entered Wednesday night’s game averaging 13.8 points in 14 games.
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