Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark had a straightforward response to why she declined the WNBA’s invitation to participate in the three-point contest at All-Star Weekend.
Clark and the event’s reigning champion, Sabrina Ionescu, reportedly turned down the opportunity to participate in the event earlier this week, with Ionescu’s Olympic camp training taking up much of the New York Liberty star’s schedule.
But WNBA fans were baffled as to why Clark, who was already slated to be in Phoenix for the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, didn’t jump at the chance to sink some threes.
“I think just rest,” Clark said when asked why she decided not to participate in the event at All-Star media day on Friday. “I’ve been playing basketball for a year straight, it’s not an easy thing to just show up to and shoot off of a rack. It’s not something I’ve ever done before. It’s not something I’ve had a lot of time to practice, I’ve been focusing on helping my team win games.
“So I think just enjoying this break, I think there’s going to be plenty of opportunities for me to do that at some point… I need a break, and I need to take some time for myself to enjoy what I want to do.”
When it comes to not participating in the 3-point contest, Caitlin Clark says it’s to prioritize rest through the busy weekend: pic.twitter.com/XiHD82UKHD
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) July 19, 2024
Clark has recorded 71 three-pointers on the year, putting her in a three-way tie with Kelsey Plum and Arike Ogunbowale for third-most three-pointers made in the league. The Fever guard has shot 32.7% from beyond the arc in her rookie season.
Widely hailed as the Stephen Curry of women’s basketball, Clark won’t get to showcase her lethal shooting range during Friday’s three-point contest, to the disappointment of many. The former Iowa standout shattered the NCAA women’s record for most three-pointers made in a single season, draining a whopping 201 from deep during her senior campaign, and finished her collegiate career averaging 5.15 made threes per game.
“The field of shooters that we have in the competition are really good, they’re all like near 40% [three-point] shooters,” continued Clark. “I’m excited for them, I’ll be there supporting them, and it’ll be fun.”
