Caitlin Clark (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The NBA has revealed why Caitlin Clark was not included in the lineup for Friday’s three-point contest.
The Indiana Fever rookie has the fourth-most made threes in the WNBA this season and is shooting 32.7 percent from distance. She was expected to be one of the first names drawn for said contest. However, neither she nor Sabrina Ionescu, another dangerous sharpshooter, will be competing.
The announcement naturally drew ire from fans online. However, it appears the decision was Caitlin’s, with Sabrina also declining an offer to participate.
Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press reported that both stars were invited to take part but turned down the offer. Ionescu is with Team USA preparing for the Olympics, but Clark’s reason for refusing is still unknown.
“The @WNBA confirmed that @sabrina_i20 and @CaitlinClark22 were invited for 3-point contest and declined participating. Ionescu is taking part in the Olympic camp which is getting ready for the Paris Games,” Feinberg tweeted.
Also Read: VIDEO: Ice Cube Unleashes Serious Accusations Against Caitlin Clark’s Agents
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Fans Back Down After WNBA Reveals Caitlin Clark Didn’t Want To Participate
Fans have changed their tune following the update, having initially lashed out at the league.
“CC has played non-stop basketball since October, Sabrina focusing on Paris, Makes sense for both of them,” one wrote.
“ppl having a go at Clark for this are absolutely wild, she’s playing in the all star game as it stands and she seems absolutely shattered at the moment,” another remarked.
“yall were pretending to be marketing experts when they simply didn’t wanna do it lmao,” someone else joked.
In any case, both Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu will be in the All-Star Game this Saturday, with the former named an All-Star amid her rookie season, while the latter will represent Team USA on the other end.
ESPN Noticed A Huge Change With Caitlin Clark’s Appearance That Should Put The Entire WNBA On Notice
Caitlin Clark (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Early on in the rookie season of Caitlin Clark, she was getting pushed around a lot by other players.
The women in the WNBA are simply much bigger and leaner than she was, and it was clear she was not playing college players anymore.
Instead of crying about it, Caitlin Clark got into the lab and got to work.
During this week’s game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings, ESPN announcers noted that Clark had added several pounds of muscle to her frame since being drafted.
The difference in her arms was incredibly notable, as a side-by-side picture clearly shows the difference in size.
Putting on muscle helps greatly with dealing with players who are banging as much as WNBA players do.
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Caitlin Clark is known for her long-range shots, but she also attacks the baskets with reckless abandon, willing to do anything to secure victories for her squad.
The post about her muscle growth also noted that the rookie phenom has shot 71% from inside 5-feet in July as opposed to just 56% in the previous months.
Also Read: WNBA Explains Why Caitlin Clark Was Not Included In Their Three-Point Contest For All-Star Weekend
After losing their last game to the worst team in the league, the Indiana Fever are 11-15, which is good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference and seventh place in the entire league.
Caitlin Clark Breaks WNBA’s Game Assists Record
Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA record for assists in a game with an incredible 19 in the Indiana Fever’s 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, per ESPN.
Clark also set a single-game rookie assist record, passing the 16 assists set by Tina Penicheiro in 1998.
Clark also broke the Fever’s single-season franchise assist record with 202 in 26 games.
The current WNBA single-season record was set last year by Alyssa Thomas when she had 316.