Sabrina Ionescu Denies Rumors on WNBA 3-Point Contest Invite as Liberty Star Won't Defend Title

After rumors that she turned down the WNBA 3-Point Contest, New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu cleared the air on the matter.

"I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to," Ionescu told reporters on Wednesday. "So was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited... Whether it's against Steph Curry or in the W, I always go out and try and beat my record every single time I've gone out. So yeah, I mean I just kind of wanted to set the record straight. Like that was that was just false."

A report from earlier this week said the Ionescu, along with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, opted not to participate in the 3-Point Contest. While Ionescu denied that report, it's unclear whether Clark and McBride also didn't get invited.

The WNBA announced the participants for the event on Tuesday.

Ionescu owns the 3-Point Contest record, having made 37 in 2023, and went head-to-head with Stephen Curry at NBA All-Star Weekend in 2024. She also won last year's event.

"I'm really excited for the participants in it, and obviously there's going to be a new winner, so I'm excited to see who wins," Ionescu said.

While it's unclear why Ionescu didn't receive an invite to the 3-Point Contest, it could be due to the injuries she's dealt with this year. She's missed half of New York's games this season because of an ankle injury and back soreness.

Amid the injuries, she's struggled to score at her usual clip. Ionescu is putting up just 13.8 points per game, her worst mark since 2021, and has shot 28.7 percent from the field, a career low.

Toronto Tempo's Marina Mabrey currently leads the league with the most three-pointers made (81) and could be a candidate to win it all this year. Whether she'll have enough to break Ionescu's record remains to be seen.