The fan interest in the WNBA seems to be at an all-time high. However, with the WNBA All-Star Weekend on the horizon, there seems to be a bit of disappointment in the air upon the reveal that the best of the best wouldn't be the ones participating in the weekend's events, with New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who showed that she could go toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry, refusing to join the 3-Point Contest along with the most ballyhooed rookie of all time in Caitlin Clark.

Clark not being on the 3-Point Contest lineup is certainly saddening for some fans who wanted nothing more but to see her show out and further prove that she is not just the future of the sport, but its present as well. Nonetheless, the Liberty star guard thought that Clark, of all people in the WNBA, is in dire need of rest after the eventful year she's been having.

“This would have been an amazing opportunity for us to be able to do it here. But I think also understanding that we're both so young. We're gonna have so many years to be able to do it,” Ionescu told reporters. “She just finished her college season two, three months ago. She just has a lot going on. I don't really blame her for just wanting to just kind of get in, get out. Get the break that she probably really needs.”

Sabrina Ionescu clearly sees the heights Caitlin Clark can reach and that she should claim her place atop the WNBA's totem pole as long as she continues on her current upward trajectory.

“The future is bright for her in terms of what she's gonna be able to do in All-Star games,” Ionescu added.

Looking at the WNBA's 3-Point Contest participants sans Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu

Without Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu, there are still elite three-point snipers to headline the competition. Kayla McBride, the current league leader in three-pointers made, looks like the heavy favorite to win the competition. With 76 made triples at a 42.7 percent clip, McBride blends efficiency and volume at an elite level, which couldn't exactly be said for her other competitors.

Stefanie Dolson is scorching the nets with her 48.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc, which is certified elite, but she has only made 49 threes this season, which has her ranked outside the top 10. Meanwhile, the three other competitors are shooting below 40 percent from beyond the arc, although Jonquel Jones is the closest to that mark with her 39.6 success rate on threes.

However, Allisha Gray and Marina Mabrey are shooting 36.0 and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc, respectively. Gray doesn't have too big of a three-point volume as well to compensate for such a percentage, while Mabrey may have the volume, but her accuracy has fallen off.

In the end, those women can still make threes with the best of them. While it's a bit sad that Clark and Ionescu won't be leading the competition, the WNBA 3-Point Contest should be in good hands nonetheless.