ESPN reporter Alexa Philippou’s post claimed that Caitlin Clark, Kayla McBride, and Sabrina Ionescu declined the chance to participate in the 2026 WNBA 3-Point Contest. When Bleacher Report shared the news on Instagram, a comment from Ionescu saw the debate surrounding this event get far more complex.

Ionescu commented “Lies” under B/R’s post. While the post was later deleted, fans shared a screenshot of Ionescu’s comment on social media. The 2025 3-Point Contest champion then elaborated on that one word.

“I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to,” she told the media.

“Never got invited. Whether it’s against Steph Curry or, in the W, I always go out and try to beat my record every single time I’ve gone out. I just wanted to set the record straight. That was just false.”

The single-season record holder with 128 3-pointers didn’t hide her disappointment, especially considering her history in the event. In 2023, she delivered one of the greatest shooting performances basketball has ever seen, scoring 37 of a possible 40 points in the final round. It’s still the highest single-round score in the history of both the NBA and WNBA 3-Point Contests.

Sabrina Ionescu followed that up in 2024 by facing Stephen Curry in the groundbreaking “Stephen vs. Sabrina” showdown during NBA All-Star Weekend, scoring 26 points from the NBA three-point line in a performance that earned praise across the basketball world. She returned to the WNBA contest in 2025 to claim another title. 

Returning to the WNBA contest the following year, Ionescu defeated Allisha Gray in the final with 30 points, including an incredible streak of 11 consecutive made shots, to reclaim the crown.

Meanwhile, the WNBA veteran said she’s looking forward to seeing someone new lift the trophy. At the same time, she couldn’t resist slipping in one playful jab at the situation.

“Maybe I’ll do it with Steph [Curry] again at NBA All-Star and get a really nice official invite,” she quipped.

With Ionescu publicly disputing the initial reports, questions quickly shifted from who would compete to what actually happened behind the scenes. Before long, the WNBA stepped in with its own clarification.

WNBA didn’t address Sabrina Ionescu in its clarification

The controversy didn’t stop with Ionescu’s comments. As the WNBA All-Star Weekend draws closer, the league has now stepped in to explain how invitations for its skills competitions are handled.

A WNBA spokesperson clarified the league’s standard process for selecting participants, once again, via Alexa Philippou.

On July 22, the ESPN reporter shared the league’s statement on X, which read: “Our general process is to reach out to agents to determine a player’s interest, and some accept and some decline.” 

That explanation, however, hasn’t fully settled the discussion. Ionescu has yet to respond publicly to the league’s clarification, leaving fans to interpret the situation for themselves.

Meanwhile, another perspective surfaced on The Dan Patrick Show, with the host citing a source familiar with the WNBA All-Star selection process.

“We were told Sabrina Ionescu was invited (to the WNBA 3PT Contest) in the exact same way she had been in the past,” said Patrick.   

And Ionescu isn’t the only player raising questions.

Kayla McBride echoed Ionescu’s statement

Minnesota Lynx‘s McBride put out an Instagram story about the three-point tournament where she called out fans who seemingly claimed that she was scared of shooting.

She wrote, “I received a half a** invite to the 3 pt contest through my agent in a text randomly 48 hours ago … not officially.”

This suggests that the Lynx guard couldn’t have declined an invitation despite reports suggesting otherwise.

With conflicting accounts coming from multiple sides, the mystery remains unresolved. Whether it was a communication breakdown or simply different interpretations of the invitation process, the conversation has become almost as intriguing as the contest itself.

It’s likely to remain a talking point throughout All-Star Weekend.