Sabrina Ionescu says she was never invited to defend her WNBA 3-point contest title, disputing reports she turned down a spot in Friday's event.
After reports listed New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu as declining this year's WNBA 3-point contest invitation at All-Star weekend, she disputes the claim.
The WNBA released the field for the 2026 event Tuesday, and Ionescu, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride were all left off it. Multiple reports said the three had been offered spots and declined. Ionescu denied the validity of the report on social media before addressing it directly with reporters Wednesday, ahead of a game against the Chicago Sky.
"I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to," Ionescu said on Wednesday. "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 that was just false."
McBride said her agent texted her about the contest before it went public, but no formal invitation followed. It's unclear if Clark even received an offer.
The snub stands out given Ionescu's history with the event. She set the combined WNBA and NBA scoring record with 37 points in 2023, hitting 25-of-27 shots, including 20 in a row, then won the contest again in 2025 with 30 points to beat defending champion Allisha Gray. She also squared off against Stephen Curry in the "Steph vs. Sabrina" cross-league shootout at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, falling three points short. She has brought up potentially running it back at NBA All-Star Weekend.
Friday's field in Chicago includes no shortage of shooting talent between Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd, Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey, Portland Fire forward Bridget Carleton, Seattle Storm guard Natisha Hiedeman, and Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün. Only Howard and Mabrey have participated in the contest at All-Star weekend before, and Mabrey leads the league with 81 made 3-pointers.
"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 said.
Despite Ionescu's track record at the event, there is a case to be made that perhaps alternative options were better suited to compete based on WNBA regular-season results. Ionescu missed nearly half of New York's games due to an ankle injury and back soreness. Her stats dropped to 13.8 points per game on a career-low 31.9% from three. Since shooting 44.8% on 286 attempts in 2023, Ionescu is shooting a combined 31.8% on 686 total attempts since 2024. She has shot at 35.0% or better twice, but that included a rookie season that finished with three games.
However, based on the WNBA's messaging to the media, it sounds as though they are trying to put the onus on Ionescu's agent. The league told ESPN's Alexa Philippou the process usually involves reaching out "to determine a player's interest," while Ionescu said she was not formally invited.
What makes the story confusing is the leak of three names, with two of them claiming they never received a legitimate invitation. Ionescu wanted to compete again, but is adamant she wasn't given the choice.
