Why Caitlin Clark declined invitation to participate in WNBA 3-point contest

Why Caitlin Clark declined invitation to participate in WNBA 3-point contest originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Caitlin Clark might be one of the WNBA's better shooters. But she opted against taking the chance to prove her shooting prowess during this year's All-Star Weekend.

The Fever star took her name out of the running for Friday's three-point contest. For the third time in her glittering career, Clark will fail to make an appearance in the sharpshooting showcase.

Tied for first in the Eastern Conference with a 16-10 record, the Fever have found plenty of success with Clark, who earned her third All-Star appearance this season. Clark has played a leading role in Indiana's surge, seeing her numbers climb in June and July after a dour May by her standards.

That wasn't enough to convince the 24-year-old to take part in the annual festival, however. Here's what we know so far about her decision to snub the three-point contest.

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Why Caitlin Clark declined invitation for WNBA 3-point contest

Clark opted out of participating in the three-point contest despite receiving a formal invitation from the WNBA. The Fever star has yet to participate in the competition, spurning it as a rookie. Clark was slated to try her luck in the contest last year when the All-Star Game was held in Indianapolis.

However, she suffered a groin injury a few days before the competition took place. She withdrew from the contest to focus on recovery and ended up missing the remainder of the season.

It's unclear exactly why Clark opted against taking part in the spectacle. She remains one of the sport's best shooters, often launching attempts from 30 feet out. Her 33.3% three-point shooting percentage isn't the most dazzling, especially compared with famed markswomen like Marina Mabrey, Kelsey Plum and her Fever teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham. She's a solidly above-average shooter in terms of true-shooting percentage, although her 58.3% mark lags behind other standouts like Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles and Kayla McBride.

Front Office Sports reported that some players were invited to take part in the three-point contest but declined for "various reasons." Assuming Clark stays healthy, she should get a chance to dance in the spotlight in Chicago during Saturday's All-Star game.

Nevertheless, those hoping to see Clark test herself against the sport's finest shooters will have to wait at least another year to see it come to fruition.

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Who is in WNBA 3-point contest?

Whereas the three-point contest has tended to be a star-laden affair in recent years, this year's competition is decidedly more low-key. Just two All-Stars feature in the six-woman field, with Marina Mabrey and Rhyne Howard headlining the sharp-shooting bunch alongside 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd.

Here's a look at the six woman recruited to take part in the 2026 WNBA 3-point Contest:

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Other players that declined 3-point contest invitations

Clark wasn't the only notable name to reject the WNBA's offer to participate in the shooting showcase. McBride and Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu also turned the league office away.

McBride, a five-time All-Star, has long been considered one of the league's deadliest shooters. She ranks joint-third in three-pointers made this season (71), only trailing Mabrey (82) and Howard (79).

Ionescu, meanwhile, is the three-point shootout's greatest-ever participant. A two-time winner of the competition, Ionescu is one of two players to ever win the contest multiple times. She famously nearly vanquished Stephen Curry in a head-to-head three-point shooting clash during 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.