Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark is already recognized as one of the top shooters beyond the arc in the WNBA. Fans were eagerly anticipating seeing her showcase her long-range sniping skills in the 2024 WNBA Three-Point Contest. However, Caitlin Clark will not be participating in the three-point contest this WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Many fans assumed Clark was a guaranteed participant in this year's event. However, when the WNBA released its Three-Point Contest lineup and Skills Challenge participants on Wednesday night, her name was notably absent.
New York Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum were also surprisingly not included in the list.
Caitlin Clark not on the list of 3-point participants
The WNBA announced the five participants for the Three-Point Contest on Wednesday. The lineup includes Stefanie Dolson of the Washington Mystics with a 48.5% shooting percentage, Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream at 36%, Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty with 39.6%, Marina Mabrey of the Connecticut Sun at 34.8%, and Kayla McBride of the Minnesota Lynx with a 42.7% shooting percentage.
Caitlin Clark might have opted out of competing, similar to what be assumed that Ionescu and Plum did.
Whether it was a decision made by the WNBA or one in which Clark had a say, this isn't what WNBA fans wanted to see for this year’s 3-point contest.
If the league left Clark out on its own, that's astonishing, given that she already wasn’t given the nod in Team USA’s Olympic team. If Clark opted out herself, it's understandable if she needs a rest before Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game.
For the first time ever, the WNBA All-Star Weekend will feature a 3×3 competition alongside the traditional 3-point contest and skills competition. The event is set to kick off at 6 p.m. MST on Friday and will be televised on ESPN. All the action will unfold at the Footprint Center.
Caitlin Clark constantly breaking WNBA Records
Caitlin Clark recently broke the WNBA single-game record for assists, achieving a career-high 19 assists as the Fever lost 101-93 to the Dallas Wings.
She also effortlessly scored 24 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, underscoring why she is the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.
The previous record for assists was held by Courtney Vandersloot, a five-time All-Star and WNBA champion, who had set the mark at 18 and held it since 2020.
In addition to setting the new WNBA single-game rookie assist record, surpassing Tina Penicheiro's 1998 mark of 16 assists, Clark has also broken the Fever's single-season franchise assist record with 202 assists in only 26 games. The current WNBA single-season record stands at 316 assists, held by Alyssa Thomas last season.
Clark not only exceeded her previous career high, which she had achieved multiple times earlier in the season, but she also was the first rookie to reach a triple-double during the Fever's victory over the New York Liberty on July 6.
Caitlin Clark also became the quickest WNBA player to reach 400 points and 200 assists, accomplishing this in just 26 games, surpassing Sue Bird's previous record of 33 games.
The Fever and Clark are performing better than anticipated this season with an 11-15 record and with more games ahead.
They'll have an opportunity to regroup and recharge during the All-Star and Olympic Games break before returning on August 16 to face the Seattle Storm.
The All-Star Game between Team USA and Team WNBA is scheduled for Saturday. Despite not participating in the 3-point contest, Clark remains part of the Team WNBA roster and will compete against Team USA before the WNBA takes a break for the 2024 Olympics.
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