Kayla McBride said the WNBA sent only an unofficial invite to her agent by text about 48 hours before the 3-point contest, prompting her to publicly reject claims she ducked the event.
On Instagram, the 34-year-old Minnesota Lynx guard called it a "half-a--" invitation and said fans should focus instead on the six shooters already entered.
Her comments follow reigning champion Sabrina Ionescu's similar complaint that she was never officially invited, leaving Friday's 8 p.m. ET contest without McBride, Ionescu and Caitlin Clark.
McBride has entered the contest three times, most recently in 2024, and is speaking out during a strong season in which she is averaging 18.2 points through 28 games.