"I respect that" - Sheryl Swoopes approves Caitlin Clark snubbing NBA All-Star 3-pt contest using Sabrina Ionescu comparison

NBA All-Star Weekend is around the corner, with festivities set to kick off on Friday, Feb. 14. The league will halt regular season play for the five-game hiatus on Feb. 13 and will resume on Wednesday, Feb. 19.

As the NBA All-Star approaches one of the biggest question marks has been the 3-point contest. Last season, the NBA added an NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge when Steph Curry took on Sabrina Ionescu in addition to the standard 3-point Contest.

The league looked to bring back the event this year, extending an offer to Caitlin Clark to participate against an NBA player. On Wednesday, Clark declined the offer, as she "wants her first 3-point contest to be in the WNBA."

WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes respected Clark for declining the invitation.

"I respect that because (Sabrina Ionescu) did the opposite, right? Sabrina shot in last year's All-Star game with Steph but refused to participate in the WNBA 3-point shooting contest," Swoopes said on "Gil's Arena."

Sabrina Ionescu and Steph Curry have had discussions about returning for the event, but no plans are in place as of Friday.

Iowa Hawkeyes retiring Caitlin Clark's jersey

The Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball program announced Caitlin Clark's No. 22 jersey will be retired on Sunday. The ceremony will kick off following Iowa's matchup versus the USC Trojans.

Clark brought unprecedented attention to women's basketball during her collegiate career, carrying the momentum into the WNBA. She suited up for the Hawkeyes from 2020-21 to 2023-24, rewriting the record books during her career.

She burst onto the scene as a freshman, leading the country in scoring, averaging 26.6 points along with 7.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game. She was named a second-team All-American for her efforts. She furthered her dominance as a sophomore, averaging 27.0 ppg, which led the country, 8.0 apg and 8.0 rpg.

By Caitlin Clark's junior season, she was one of the biggest names in basketball, earning a second consecutive first-team All-American nod along with the Naismith Award, Player of the Year award and the Wooden Award.

She swept the awards again in her senior season, breaking the NCAA Division I scoring record outright in a historic season.