The WNBA just can’t get out of its own way. Now, Minnesota Lynx star Kayla McBride is calling out the league for mishandling something.
After the league announced the participants for the 2026 WNBA 3-point contest this week, some media outlets reported that McBride, Caitlin Clark, and Sabrina Ionescu all declined invitations to compete.
Ionescu emphatically denied the report with a one-word comment on Instagram: “Lies.” She later said she didn’t even receive an invitation, despite having won the contest the only two times she competed and being the reigning champion.
“I can’t decline an offer I never got officially invited to,” Ionescu told reporters on Wednesday. “So was pretty surprised to see that – never got invited. And obviously, 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 wanted to set the record straight. That was just false. But I’m really excited for the participants in it and obviously there’s going to be a new winner, so I’m excited to see who wins.”
Caitlin Clark hasn’t addressed why, three years into her WNBA career, she still won’t have appeared in the one contest that everyone wants to see her compete – especially against Ionescu.
Kayla McBride wasn’t exactly feeling the love from the WNBA
Kayla McBride, on the other hand, did address why she isn’t competing. McBride, a five-time WNBA All-Star who is averaging a career-high 18.2 points per game while shooting 40% from behind the arc, said her invite to compete in the 3-point contest was not exactly… inviting.
“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,” McBride wrote on her Instagram Story on Wednesday. “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 … we should focus on the great shooters in it already!!! because there’s some killas in there. good luck to all those participating and when yall start doing shooting contests coming off pin downs hit me.”
So, instead of Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Kayla McBride, or any of the players actually ranked in the top 10 in the WNBA in 3-point shooting percentage, the 2026 WNBA 3-point contest will see Marina Mabrey, Rhyne Howard, Azzi Fudd, Bridget Carleton, Natisha Hiedeman, and Janelle Salaun participating.
Not a single one of them ranks in the top 20 in 3-point shooting percentage. Good job, WNBA.