Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark routinely displays her ability to score from deep, helping her team towards triumph in front of their local crowd. However, this time, she’ll be showcasing her 3-point shot to demonstrate her superiority.
Clark is scheduled to participate in the 3-point competition on Friday during the WNBA All-Star weekend. She will be joined by Sabrina Ionescu, a guard for the New York Liberty; Kelsey Plum, a star player for the Los Angeles Sparks; Allisha Gray, a guard for the Atlanta Dream; and Sonia Citron, a rookie from the Washington Mystics, as announced by the league on Tuesday. The event will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Gray will be attempting to retain her title, having won the competition in 2024.
Clark’s involvement is expected to attract considerable attention. The 23-year-old did not participate in the event as a rookie, although she did appear in the All-Star Game. The event occurred during Clark’s impressive rookie season, which led to her being named Rookie of the Year and selected for an All-WNBA team.
Ionescu also chose not to participate in the event last season. While she did not participate in the WNBA’s 3-point contest, she did participate in a 3-point competition against Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend. Curry edged out Ionescu by only three points in a competition that was well-received by fans.
Both parties considered re-staging the competition in 2025, with a greater pool of talent. However, these plans did not materialize, even though Clark was reportedly invited to participate. She declined, stating that she preferred her first 3-point contest to “be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer,” which led to Tuesday’s announcement.
While Clark is expected to be among the favorites to win the event, her 3-point shooting percentage has been less impressive this season. In 12 games, Clark has a 29 percent success rate from beyond the arc, a decrease from the 34 percent she achieved last year.
Clark has faced several injuries this season, which could be contributing to her shooting difficulties. However, holding the event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse should be advantageous, as Clark has a 39 percent 3-point shooting percentage at home this season.
Ionescu is also experiencing a less successful year from beyond the arc, with a 31 percent success rate on 3-pointers. This is the lowest percentage of her career.
Citron could be a surprise contender to win the event. The rookie has a 36 percent success rate on her 3-point attempts this season. Plum has performed similarly well, with a 35 percent success rate from 3-point range.
Gray, the current champion, is having one of her best seasons from long range, with a 39 percent success rate from beyond the arc. The only season in which she performed better was 2022, when she made over 40 percent of her 3-point shots.
Kayla McBride named All-Star Game replacement
Kayla McBride, a guard for the Minnesota Lynx, is returning to the WNBA All-Star Game. McBride was selected as a replacement for Rhyne Howard on Tuesday.
Howard received a diagnosis of a knee injury on Monday, which is expected to keep her out of action for the remainder of July. Howard was initially drafted as a reserve by Team Collier.
McBride, 33, will assume Howard’s spot due to the injury. This will be the fifth time in her career that McBride has been selected for the All-Star team. The Lynx player is having a strong start to the season, averaging 14.1 points and 3.1 assists in her first 19 games.
WNBA Skills Challenge participants announced
The league also revealed the players who will be participating in the 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge. Gray, who emerged victorious last season, will reprise her role, aiming for a consecutive win.
She will be joined by Courtney Williams, Natasha Cloud, Skylar Diggins, and Erica Wheeler.
Last year, Gray triumphed in both the 3-point contest and the skills challenge, marking the first instance of such a feat. She will be striving to defend both titles when the WNBA All-Star weekend commences on Friday.
Following the 3-point contest and skills challenge on Friday, the league will stage the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday.
