Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu will not participate in WNBA 3-Point Shooting Contest

This year’s WNBA 3-Point Shooting Contest will feature two notable exceptions.

Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark and Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who won the three-point contest last year, will not be among this year’s roster, the league announced Wednesday night.

Liberty’s Jonquel Jones will, however, be taking part in the event with Sophie Cunningham (Phoenix Mercury), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun) and Erica Wheeler (Indiana Fever).

Clark, who made her first WNBA All-Star team in her rookie campaign, hit 71 three-pointers, which ranks third in the league this year.

“I’m focused on this game tonight and then we’ll move on to All-Star after that,” Clark told reporters, according to The Athletic, before the Fever’s 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday night, in which she set the WNBA single-game record with 19 assists.

Clark, who will play for Team WNBA against Team USA on July 20, ranks 37th in the league in 3-point percentage (32.7).

It’s already been an impressive year for Clark, who now holds the Fever’s single-season franchise record with 213 assists while becoming the fastest player to record 400 points and 200 assists in the same season, accomplishing the feat in just 26 games.

Ionsecu, second in the league with 74 3-pointers this year, set a career record — NBA or WNBA — with 37 points in the final round of last year’s 3-point contest in Las Vegas.

During the 2023-24 NBA All-Star weekend, Ionescu agreed to face Warriors icon Steph Curry in a 3-point contest, with the Liberty star falling just short, 29-26.

Jones, Liberty’s representative in the competition, has made 39.6 percent of her three-point shots this season.

She was previously a finalist in the 3-point shooting contest in 2021.

The 3-point contest and skills challenge will take place on July 19, while the All-Star Game will be held the following day at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.