Sabrina Ionescu, the New York Liberty guard, is officially out of this weekend’s WNBA three-point contest, but get this: she says it’s not by choice. Reports had been swirling that Ionescu, who holds the all-time record for *either* the WNBA or NBA three-point contests, was among the big names who declined an invite. But she just shot that down, saying she was never even invited in the first place. Wild, right?
“I Can’t Decline An Offer I Never Got”
Ionescu didn’t mince words before the Liberty’s game against the Chicago Sky on Wednesday. “I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to,” she told reporters. “So was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited.” She’s a competitor, too, always trying to beat her own record, “whether it’s against Steph Curry or in the W.” She just wanted to “set the record straight” because the reports were “false.” And talk about shade: when asked for more, she hinted, “Maybe I’ll do it with Steph again at NBA All-Star and get a really nice official invite.” You gotta love that fire! Kayla McBride also had something to say, posting on her Instagram story about getting a “half ass invite” via text from her agent, adding, “Posting things like I’m afraid of shooting smoke is weird and if you didn’t hear it from me prob shouldn’t believe it.” This whole situation is messy.
Record-Breaker Left Out?
This isn’t some rookie we’re talking about; Ionescu has won this competition *twice*. She absolutely lit it up in 2023 with a stunning 37-point performance to take the title, a score that’s still the most ever in either WNBA or NBA three-point contest history. She even went head-to-head with Stephen Curry in the NBA’s version the next year, losing narrowly, then came back and won the WNBA contest again last year. So, for her to be out? That’s a huge void in the lineup. It’s true she wasn’t named to this year’s All-Star roster after missing significant time with an ankle injury and then a back injury last month. But that’s for the main game, not a shooting contest where she’s a proven legend. The announced lineup includes Bridget Carleton, Azzi Fudd, Natisha Hiedeman, Rhyne Howard, Marina Mabrey, and Janelle Salaün. Only Howard and Mabrey have participated before, and neither has won. Someone new is guaranteed to take the trophy home.
Ionescu’s denial flips the script entirely. We’ve got a new winner guaranteed this weekend, and she’s “really excited for the participants,” but the buzz is all about who *isn’t* there, and *why*. What a wild way to kick off All-Star weekend! Will we see a “nice official invite” for a Steph Curry rematch down the line? We can only hope.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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