New York Liberty Star Sabrina Ionescu She is the current champion of the WNBA three-point contest.
She will not be participating in this year’s competition.
Indiana Fever Rookie Caitlin Clark is only a few months away a college degree in Iowa in which she set NCAA women’s basketball records for 3-pointers made in a season (201) and in a career (548).
She also does not appear on the list of participants published on Wednesday.
He The NBA confirmed to The Times on Thursday that Ionescu and Clark have been invited to compete in the event, which will help kick off Weekend of the stars Friday in Phoenix, but both women refused.
Replacing them will be Kayla McBride of Minnesota, Stefanie Dolson of Washington, Jonquel Jones of New York and Marina Mabrey of Connecticut.
It’s unclear why Ionescu and Clark opted out. Both will participate in Saturday’s All-Star Game — Clark as a member of the All-WNBA Team and Ionescu as part of the All-WNBA Team. Team USAwho will represent the US in the Paris Olympic Games.
Ionescu is one of four players (along with McBride, Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale and Las Vegas’ Kelsey Plum) averaging three 3-pointers per game, the best mark in the WNBA. Clark is right behind that group, tied with Phoenix’s. Diana Taurasi with 2.7 per game.
McBride leads all players with 76 3-pointers, followed by Ionescu with 74 and Clark, Ogunbowale and Plum with 71.
Before the Fever’s game against Dallas on Wednesday, Clark was asked if the league had reached out to her regarding the three-point contest.
“I don’t know,” Clark said. “My focus is on this game tonight and then we’ll move on to the All-Star Game.”
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Clark set a WNBA record with 19 assists during a 101-93 loss. She then talked about having more than three weeks off after the All-Star break as the WNBA pauses for the Olympics.
“It’s going to be very good for me and my body,” he said. “It’s almost a full year of playing basketball non-stop.”
Ionescu was asked on Tuesday about the possibility of defending her three-point title.
“To be honest, I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to do it,” said the Olympic debutant. “I have a lot of things to do.”
She added that it would be difficult to top winning the contest the first time.
“It’s one of those moments in sport where you just think, ‘I can’t believe it happened,'” Ionescu said.
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Competitors in the skills challenge, also part of Friday’s festivities, will be Mabrey, Brittney Griner and Sophie Cunningham of Phoenix, Allisha Gray of Atlanta and Erica Wheeler of Indiana.
Also on Wednesday, University of the South icon Cheryl Miller was announced as coach of the WNBA team. Three times named Naismith Player of the Year, Miller led the Trojans to national titles. in 1983 and 1984, and won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. in 1984, before serving as USC coach from 1993 to 1995. Also He coached the Mercury From 1997 to 2000.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.