When the six participants for the three-point contest during the upcoming All-Star weekend were announced on Tuesday, Sabrina Ionescu’s name was nowhere to be found. While it was initially reported that the guard had declined the invitation to the event, fans are now wondering about the authenticity of those reports, as Ionescu herself has given a one-word reply to give her take on the whole situation.
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“Lies,” Ionescu replied to a post by Bleacher Report that has since been deleted.
The post also mentioned Caitlin Clark and Kayla McBride as the other two players who had declined to participate in the contest. While the post by BR has been removed, multiple fans have shared a screenshot of the same across social media.
Unlike the All-Star team, which has fixed criteria and public voting, the three-point contest has no public or media voting.
It’s unclear at the moment as to what the truth is about the whole situation, as there has been no official communication regarding this matter either from the league or Ionescu.
However, her absence does seem like an illogical omission for the signature event that Ionescu has headlined in the past and already won twice. Ionescu is the defending champion. She has won the three-point contest twice in the last three years.
The reaction from the fans was immediate regarding this snub.
“They have punished her for her current form,” one fan said.
Indeed, Ionescu’s current form is not at the level you would expect it to be. She is averaging just 13.8 points while shooting just 37.9% from the field, 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game across 14 games played. She is also shooting a career-low 28.7% from beyond the arc.
“Idk that Sab has anything left to prove after her two wins but…not a great look!” another fan said, referring to her past wins in the competition.
“As much as I do feel bad for Sabrina, I’m excited to see some new faces in the competition this year,” one fan said.
“Reigning champ though. Usually worth asking to see if they’re interested in defending,” another fan said.
“Get’em Sabby,” one simply applauded Ionescu’s response.
Only time will tell what the actual truth is regarding the whole situation, and whether or not Ionescu did get an invitation from the league.
For now, the fans can watch the signature event, to be held at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, July 24 at 8 PM ET and broadcast on Disney+, ESPN, and the ESPN app.