Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu will not compete WNBA 3-point contest

In the final tune-up before WNBA All-Star Weekend, Caitlin Clark made league history.

The Indiana Fever rookie notched a single game WNBA-record with 19 assists in a 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday night.

And yet, that’s not even the biggest news surrounding the 2024 No. 1 overall pick.

Following the final two games prior to All-Star Weekend, the WNBA announced the participants for this year’s 3-point contest and skills challenge.

In a shocking turn of events, Clark and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu were notably not on the list to participate in this year’s event in Phoenix.

According to multiple reports, both Clark and Ionescu declined to showcase their talents in the three-point competition. For Ionescu, the reigning three-point contest champion, this is due to getting ready for the Olympic camp ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics starting next week.

More:Caitlin Clark’s All-Star Game debut: How to watch 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend, plus rosters

Still, this comes as somewhat of a surprise considering not only are these two of the most popular stars in the sport, but the former No. 1 overall picks are also two of the WNBA’s best and well-known shooters from beyond the arc and are tied for the second-shortest consensus odds on sportsbooks in New Jersey at 75/1 (Aces’ forward A’ja Wilson is runaway favorite at -3231) to win the WNBA MVP this year.

However, if a player on the Olympic team gets hurt and cannot continue to play, Clark could be the first name called as she’s one of the top alternates to join the USWNT in Paris in this scenario, making sense why the WNBA’s biggest star decided against participating in the three-point competition.

Through 26 games in her rookie campaign, Clark’s averaging a team-high 17.1 points per game (PPG), good for 12th best in the WNBA this season. What’s even more impressive is how much more she’s getting her teammates involved, as she’s dished out double digits assists in seven of her last nine games leading up to All-Star Weekend and leads the league at 8.2 assists per game (APG). Clark is the massive odds-on-favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, currently with -1800 (Bet $1,800 to win $100) consensus odds on sportsbooks in New Jersey over Chicago Sky’s double-double machine Angel Reese, who’s at +750 (Bet $100 to win $750).

Clark’s not the only one making history. Following a 82-74 victory over the Connecticut Sun, Ionescu set the franchise record for most 30-point games (13) in Liberty history on Tuesday night at the Barclays Center. The 2020 No. 1 overall selection is averaging a career-best 19.4 PPG and is dishing out 6.2 APG (5th most in WNBA), all while leading the franchise to best the record in the WNBA at 21-4.

Who’s competing in WNBA 3-point contest?

Here’s the list:

New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones

Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray

Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey

Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride

Washington Mystics center Stefanie Dolson

Who’s competing in the WNBA skills challenge?

Not only with Clark or Ionescu not be involved in either event, but Gray and Mabrey will be participating in both competitions on Friday night.

Here’s the list of players taking part in the skills challenge:

Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray

Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham and center Brittney Griner

Indiana Fever guard Erica Wheeler