Caitlin Clark explained why she chose not to participate in the 3-Point Contest during WNBA All-Star Weekend.
In the end, it was decided that I didn’t want to put any more strain on her body.
“I just think I’m going to rest,” Clark said Friday when asked why she chose to participate in the event. “I’ve been playing basketball all year. It’s not easy to just go out there and shoot from the rack. It’s something I’ve never done before. I haven’t had much time to practice. I’ve just been focused on helping my team win games.”
“So I’m just enjoying this break and I think there will be plenty of opportunities to do that at some point… I need time off and I need to take time to enjoy the things I want to do.”
Clark has not had a full day of rest since his senior season at Iowa began last October.
Clark was drafted first overall by the Fever shortly after the Hokies lost to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the national championship game, and just a few weeks later the WNBA season began.
Still, WNBA fans were surely eager to see Clark, arguably the most popular basketball player in the league and one of its best shooters, show off her skills on Friday night.
Clark, who is scheduled to play in Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game, has made 71 3-pointers this season, making 32.7 percent of her shots, tied for third in the league.
During his senior season at Iowa, Clark set a single-season record with 201 three-pointers and 5.15 deep shots per game.
The Indiana star isn’t the only big-name shooter to miss the event, despite already being in Phoenix for this weekend’s festivities.
Reigning 3-Point Contest champion Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty also will not be competing this time.
