Ionescu dismisses WNBA 3-point contest decline reports as 'false'

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu has publicly refuted reports suggesting she declined an invitation to the 2026 WNBA 3-point contest, stating she never received an official offer. The denial follows an ESPN report claiming Ionescu, alongside Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, had declined participation in the upcoming event.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Ionescu expressed surprise at the allegations. "I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to," she said. "So I was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited... That was just false." The two-time winner of the event, who set a WNBA and NBA record with 37 points in 2023, affirmed her continued interest in the competition.

While Ionescu sought to correct the record, the situation surrounding other players remains less clear. It is currently unknown whether Caitlin Clark received an official invitation, despite reports indicating she had declined one. Clark, the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, missed the 2025 contest due to a groin injury after previously declining an invitation as a rookie.

Kayla McBride also addressed the reporting, describing her notification process as informal. On her Instagram story, the Minnesota Lynx guard, who holds the WNBA record for active career 3-pointers with 796, stated she received a "half ass invite" via a text message from her agent just 48 hours before the ESPN report was published. She urged fans to focus on the confirmed shooters rather than the controversy.

Despite the confusion surrounding these high-profile guards, the field for the contest at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Friday night includes No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and Marina Mabrey, who currently leads the league in 3-pointers made this season. Ionescu noted she was excited to see who would emerge as the new winner.