It was a shock to WNBA fans to see Caitlin Clark's name missing from the list of participants for the 2024 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest. On Friday,Darden Clarke the Fever rookie explained that she was invited to compete but ultimately decided to sit out to prioritize the All-Star Game and get some rest. 

"I've been playing basketball for a year straight," Clark said. "It's not an easy thing to just show up and shoot off a rack. It's not something I've done before. It's not something I've had a lot of time to practice. I've been helping my team win games. Just enjoying this break. There will be plenty of opportunities for me to do that at some point."

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It's been a long grind for Clark this year. The 22-year-old wrapped up her college career at Iowa in April, where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Div. I history and led the Hawkeyes to the NCAA title game. Clark was selected with the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft by the Fever on April 15 and made her WNBA debut a month later in May.

"I need a break, and I need to take some time to myself to enjoy what I want to do," Clark added. "At times that can be tough being in the position that I'm in, but I think it's going to be healthiest for myself."