Caitlin Clark Rejects 3-Point Contest, Heightening NBA All-Star Issues

The NBA will have to wait another year to capitalize on Caitlin Clark’s star power at All-Star weekend.

The WNBA star has decided not to participate in a special three-point shootout at this year’s NBA All-Star weekend, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania. ESPN reported in November that the NBA is trying to revamp last year’s shooting challenge between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu by adding Clark and Mavericks wing Klay Thompson this year.

Clark’s representatives at Excel Sports told ESPN that she would like the 2025 WNBA All-Star three-point contest to be her first. She also decided not to participate in last year’s WNBA event during her rookie season.

Her decision is a blow for the NBA as it looks to improve on dwindling viewership for its All-Star showcase. Last year’s All-Star Saturday Night drew 4.57 million viewers—up 31% from the previous year—but still just the third-least-watched version of the event in history. Sunday’s game averaged 5.4 million viewers last year, up 17.6% versus 2023, but still the second-least-watched game.

Last year’s Saturday festivities were boosted by the duel of Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, the first time the league pitted an NBA and WNBA star head-to-head in a shooting contest during All-Star weekend. Viewership peaked at 5.4 million during the window of their shootout.

Clark’s participation would have helped soften the blow of the underwhelming group of participants for the Slam Dunk Contest—often All-Star Saturday’s main event—the NBA announced Monday. 

The field features back-to-back champion Mac McClung, Andre Jackson Jr., and rookies Matas Buzelis and Stephon Castle. While McClung has impressed over the last two years, there is a clear lack of star power in the field. (None of the participants have played more than 100 NBA games.)

Silver Stays Hopeful

As for the Sunday showcase, the NBA has tweaked the format for the second year in a row as it hopes players will give more effort on the court. This year will be the first tournament-style format, with four teams competing for a $1.8 million prize pool.

Commissioner Adam Silver, who has been forthcoming about the All-Star Game’s issues in recent years, said at a press conference in Paris last week that he “hasn’t given up” on making the All-Star Game more competitive.

“We went back to the drawing board, we had direct conversations with many of the players, many of the perennial All-Stars to talk about what it is that we could put together from a competitive standpoint. And I’m optimistic this year that we landed on a formula that will work,” Silver said.