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After much speculation and rumors flying off the wall, it was announced on Wednesday night that Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu will be sitting out of the WNBA All-Star Weekend's 3-point contest. The event takes place Friday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Each player's decision garnered praise from NBA star Stephen Curry on Instagram, who has his share of experience winning 3-point contests. Ionescu is the defending champion in the WNBA's 3-point contest.
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"Good decision this go around," Curry commented.
Entering the All-Star break, Ionescu and Clark are fourth and fifth in the WNBA in three-pointers made per game, with Ionescu making 2.8 and Clark making 2.7. Ionescu is shooting 34.5% from behind the arc, while Clark is shooting 32.7%.
Ionescu will miss the contest due to the Team USA Olympic camp, while Clark will likely be sitting out to share the spotlight with her peers. The players who compete in this year's 3-point contest are Stefanie Dolson (Washington Mystics), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun) and Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx).
Steph Curry, like Ionescu, is competing in the Olympics for Team USA, averaging 13.0 points in their three exhibition wins thus far. The Olympic basketball tournament is set to tip off on July 27.
Steph Curry squared off against Sabrina Ionescu during the NBA's All-Star break
At last year's NBA All-Star break, Steph Curry faced off against Sabrina Ionescu in the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-point contest.
Ionescu was fresh off breaking the single-round record for any 3-point contest, scoring 37 points in the final round of the WNBA event in 2023. Curry set the NBA record by scoring 31 points in a round.
Ionescu scored 26 points in a solid performance, losing to Curry by three after a 29-point round for the four-time NBA champion.
Steph Curry will be making his Olympics debut this summer. He has won gold medals in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2010 and 2014. The two-time NBA MVP's scoring ability will play a big role in Team USA's success in Paris.
