Sabrina Ionescu says 3-point invite never came after decline report
The Liberty star disputed an ESPN report that she turned down the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest, saying she was never officially invited.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Sabrina Ionescu says there was no WNBA 3-point contest invitation for her to reject.
The New York Liberty star pushed back Wednesday after ESPN reported Tuesday that Ionescu, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride had all declined invitations to take part in the 2026 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest.
Speaking with reporters, Ionescu said she saw the report and was surprised by it. “I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to,” she said, adding that the claim was “just false.”
Ionescu also said she would have been interested in chasing her own mark again, whether in a WNBA contest or against Stephen Curry. She wished the current field well and noted the event will have a new champion.
The denial adds a twist to one of All-Star weekend’s most-watched events. Ionescu is a two-time winner of the WNBA 3-point contest and owns one of the signature shooting nights in basketball skills competition history.
In 2023, she scored 37 points in the contest, a record across both the WNBA and NBA formats, according to CBS Sports. She hit 25 of 27 attempts during that round, including a run of 20 straight makes. She won the contest again last year.
Ionescu also took part in the NBA vs. WNBA “Stephen vs. Sabrina” shootout against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry during 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Clark’s status is less clear. CBS Sports reported that it is not known whether she received an invitation this year. Fans have been waiting for a Clark-Ionescu 3-point matchup since Clark entered the WNBA in 2024 after becoming the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history.
Clark has not competed in a WNBA 3-point contest. According to CBS Sports, she declined an invitation during her rookie season, then was expected to take part last year before a groin injury kept her out of both the 3-point contest and the All-Star Game.
McBride also disputed the way her situation was framed. On her Instagram story, the Lynx guard wrote that she received what she called a “half ass invite” through her agent by text, and said it came randomly 48 hours earlier, according to the post cited by CBS Sports.
McBride, identified by CBS Sports as the WNBA’s active leader in career 3-pointers with 796, also pushed back on suggestions that she was avoiding the contest. She wrote that people should not believe claims unless they came from her and said attention should be on the shooters already in the field.
Who is in the contest
The 2026 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest is scheduled for Friday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The field includes No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and Marina Mabrey, who leads the league in made 3-pointers this season, according to CBS Sports.
- Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings guard
- Marina Mabrey, Toronto Tempo guard
- Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream guard
- Natisha Hiedeman, Seattle Storm guard
- Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries forward
- Bridget Carleton, Portland Fire forward
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.