New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu has denied a report that she declined to participate in the upcoming WNBA 3-point contest. When asked about the report during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Ionescu clarified the situation, stating that she had never officially received an invitation to participate in the event.

"I saw [the report] yesterday. I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to," Ionescu said. "So I 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. That was just false."

Ionescu, a two-time 3-point contest winner, has a strong track record in the competition. She won the event last year, two years after setting a record (both WNBA and NBA) with a score of 37 in her 2023 win. During that performance, she made 25 of 27 shots, including 20 in a row. She also participated in the historic NBA vs. WNBA "Stephen vs. Sabrina" shootout with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.

ESPN reported Tuesday that Ionescu, along with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride, all declined invitations to participate in the event. However, Ionescu’s denial suggests that she was never officially invited in the first place.

Clark, the leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, has been a topic of interest for fans who are eager to see her compete against Ionescu in the 3-point contest. However, Clark’s participation in the event remains uncertain, as she has not officially commented on the situation.

McBride, the WNBA’s active leader in career 3-pointers with 796, took to social media to clarify the narrative surrounding her participation in the 3-point contest. "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," she wrote on her Instagram story. "We should focus on the great shooters in it already!!!" McBride also revealed that she received a half-ass invite to the 3-point contest through her agent in a text message, but did not officially receive an invitation.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ionescu’s and Clark’s participation, the WNBA 3-point contest is shaping up to be an exciting event. No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and Marina Mabrey, who leads the league in 3-pointers made this season, are among the participants for the event on Friday night at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.