The WNBA All-Star weekend was a massive success overall. From the many competitions, like the shooting stars competition to the 3-point contest, fans had a lot to look forward to. A thrilling All-Star game itself capped off the entire weekend.
However, it wasn’t without controversy. Two of the league’s most prominent sharpshooters, Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu, were not in the shooting contest, which drew some confusion from fans. Now, a popular theory is circulating about their alleged snub.
Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu Missing the 3-Point Contest
Without the two of them, there was a heavy influence of rookies in the contest. A star-studded lineup, nonetheless, it also featured the first overall pick from the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Alongside Azzi Fudd from the Dallas Wings, the showcase also had Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard, Toronto Tempo’s Marina Mabrey, Seattle Storm’s Natisha Hiedeman, Portland Fire’s Bridget Carleton, and the Golden State Valkyries’ Janelle Salaun.
However, for fans, the absence of Clark and Ionescu, who won the 3-point shootout last year, was hard to ignore. But according to a theory by Rachel DeMita of Courtside Club, the reason the two missed the contest might have been entirely unique.
An agent directly told her, “In the new WNBA CBA, if the league asks a player to be in he contest, then they are contractually obligated to do it. So I think that might have been some of the miscommunication between player and league.”
Some sources tried to portray Ionescu and Clark as declining an invitation to the contest. However, the New York Liberty star was quick to speak out against that rumor, calling it a “lie.”
But DeMita also remained unsure where the fault was. “Put the blame wherever you want here because there’s clearly miscommunication.” However, she did suggest a potential reason the communication could have been a problem between the two sides.
“I think that might have been the reason why the league was kind of talking to the agency, seeing if they were interested and not doing something like a formal invite, like I feel they should have.” However, she believed that the situation needed to be fixed quickly.
“There shouldn’t be this gray area where players are feeling like they’re being snubbed or they’re not being taken care of for these events.” Pointing to two examples as evidence, she further made her point.
“Like Sabrina and Kayla McBride both made it seem like they didn’t feel wanted for this event. I don’t think they should ever feel like that. But at the same time, if it is something in this new CBA, that has to be directly communicated.”
It remains to be seen whether the league changes the way it approaches the competition and its participants. But after the public vocalization of their dislike of the process, a change might be necessary.
