The WNBA Players Association is improving upon a pitch to get Caitlin Clark to participate in her first professional three-point contest.
The WNBPA announced Thursday that the prize money awarded by sponsor Aflac for the WNBA’s three-point contest will increase to $60,000, which matches the first-prize winnings for the NBA’s competition.
The difference, however, is that the WNBA’s prize is given via a sponsor, whereas the NBA’s is written into its collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Additionally, the NBA rewards other participants ranging from $10,000 for the last-place finisher (eighth) to $40,000 for the runner-up. The purse is $195,000.
According to the WNBA’s CBA, the three-point contest winner receives $2,575, meaning this year’s first prize totals $62,575. However, the remaining participants don’t get a share of the sponsor’s prize pool and will receive just $1,030, according to the CBA.
The number of WNBA three-point contest participants is not set, but there were just five players last year. If that continues this season, the total purse would be $66,695.
The WNBA’s All-Star prize money is another point in the growing list of issues the league and its players must agree on during its CBA negotiations. The WNBPA opted out of the current CBA in October, and a new deal, if ratified, will kick in by the 2026 season.
Will Caitlin Clark Participate?
Clark did not join last year’s contest even though the winner’s prize money was raised to $57,575 (with $55,000 coming from Aflac). Last season was the first time a sponsor supplemented the league’s prize money, which also included $55,000 for the Skills Challenge winner, but the announcement of the increase came just one day before the competition.
While it hasn’t been confirmed whether Clark will participate in this year’s contest, it appears to be part of her plan. The NBA was reportedly luring her to join a special three-point contest during its All-Star weekend in February, akin to the Steph Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu shootout last year, but Clark declined. According to ESPN, Clark wants her first three-point contest to be this season with the WNBA.
The 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities will be hosted by Clark and the Indiana Fever this year on July 18–19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
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