WNBA stars Sabrina Ionescu and Kayla McBride have publicly challenged reports that they declined invitations to the 2026 WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest.
The event is scheduled for Friday, July 24, 2026, in Chicago.
League sources previously reported that Ionescu, McBride, and Caitlin Clark were invited but turned down the offers.
Both players refuted the claim, citing communication flaws from league organizers.
Ionescu: 'Never Got Invited'
Ionescu, a two-time contest champion and holder of the single-round scoring record, disputed the narrative following reports of her absence from the six-player field.
"I can't decline an offer I never got officially invited to," said Ionescu, guard for the New York Liberty.
"So was pretty surprised to see that. Never got invited."
The Liberty guard added that she had intended to clarify the situation publicly while wishing luck to the participating players.
"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," said Ionescu.
"I just kind of wanted to set the record straight. Like that was just false, but I'm really excited for the participants in it."
She also poked fun at the situation while speaking to reporters about future competitions.
"Maybe I'll do it with Steph again at NBA All-Star and get a really nice official invite," said Ionescu.
McBride: 'Half a-- Invite'
McBride similarly expressed frustration over how the league handled the outreach for the event.
She revealed she received an informal message shortly before the lineup announcement.
"Also, for those that are SO concerned.
I received a half a-- invite to the 3 pt contest, thru my agent, in a text randomly 48 hours ago..
not officially," said McBride, guard for the Minnesota Lynx.
McBride urged fans to focus on the athletes participating in the contest rather than the off-court drama.
"Sooo 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," said McBride.
She praised the talents of the players set to take the court at Wintrust Arena.
"We should focus on the great shooters in it already!!! because there's some killas in there," said McBride.
WNBA Responds
Addressing the comments from players, the WNBA defended its standard outreach procedures for All-Star events.
"Our general process is to reach out to agents to determine a player's interest, and some accept and some decline," said a WNBA spokesperson.
The 2026 3-Point Contest field features Bridget Carleton, Azzi Fudd, Natisha Hiedeman, Rhyne Howard, Marina Mabrey, and Janelle Salaün.
Coverage will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and Disney+.
