Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu, two of the WNBA’s best-known players, declined to participate in Friday’s 3-point contest in Phoenix.
Ionescu is preparing for the Paris Olympics—group play begins July 29 against Japan—and, according to the Associated Press, is focusing on the Olympic camp. Clark, who was left off Team USA’s roster, is finishing the first few months of what’s been a record-setting first half of her rookie campaign.
On Wednesday, WNBA players’ association head Terri Carmichael Jackson objected to reports that the league would receive nearly $200 million annually as part of the NBA’s $75 billion, 11-year media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon.
“We look forward to learning how the NBA arrived at a $200 million valuation—if initial reports are accurate or even close,” Carmichael Jackson said in a statement. The amount represents a six-fold increase in the rights pay for the WNBA, which was party to the negotiations.
Clark, for her part, set the WNBA’s single-game assist record with 19 later that evening as the Indiana Fever closed the first half of the season with a loss to the Dallas Wings. She and Chicago’s Angel Reese were the only two rookies named as all-stars.
According to the WNBA’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, players earn $1,030 for participating in the 3-point contest, with the winner receiving $2,575.
After conversations about the bonus payout amounts circulated on social media, Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA and forward for the Seattle Storm, posted on X that insurance company Aflac is “supplementing the league’s pay” and adding $55,000 to the winners’ payouts for the skills challenge and 3-point contest.
“This initiative is a testament to our commitment to promoting women in sports and celebrating the dedication and talent of these incredible players,” Garth Knutson, Aflac’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
The WNBA didn’t immediately say whether this was allowed under the CBA.
The participants in this year’s 3-point contest include Ionescu’s New York Liberty teammate Jonquel Jones, Stefanie Dolson (Washington Mystics), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun) and Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx).
During the NBA’s All-Star weekend in February, Ionescu participated in a 3-point contest with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry that saw Curry beat Ionescu by three points. Ionescu was the W’s 3-point contest champion last year after putting up a record 37 points in the final round, hitting 25 of 27 shots.
Both Clark and Ionescu will participate in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night.
(This story has been updated with details of the NBA/WNBA media rights deal and rookie all-star selections, and with information on the Aflac bonus payouts.)
