One of the biggest hits from 2024 is not returning to this year's All-Star weekend.
The much-anticipated 3-point contest rematch between Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, which was expected to include Caitlin Clark and Klay Thompson, fell apart over the last month. As a result, the league is moving forward with just its traditional 3-point contest on Saturday night, as the WNBA stars will not be included.
Since the NBA-WNBA crossover is not happening, here's a timeline of how it broke down over the past year.
SN's NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule
How 3-Point Contest with Stephen Curry, Sabrina Ionescu, Caitlin Clark and Klay Thompson fell apart
Feb. 17, 2024: Curry and Ionescu face off on All-Star Saturday Night. Ionescu lights it up with 26 points, but it's not quite enough to beat Curry.
Feb. 18, 2024: TNT reveals that 2024 was the most-watched All-Star Saturday Night in four years, with viewership peaking at 5.4 million viewers during Curry and Ionescu's battle.
April 2, 2024: With Curry vs. Ionescu being a massive success, NBA insider Shams Charania reports the NBA is considering bringing it back in 2025. However, the idea is for it to be a 2-on-2 competition with Caitlin Clark and Klay Thompson potentially joining.
At the time, Clark was finishing her college career at Iowa while Thompson was in what turned out to be his last season with the Warriors. The league hoped that since the 2025 All-Star Game is in San Francisco, the Splash Brothers could compete along with two of the biggest 3-point threats in the WNBA.
Nov. 15, 2024: Charania reports Curry and Ionescu are in talks to run it back, with Thompson and Clark being recruited as targets to create a 2-on-2 battle.
Jan. 29, 2025: Caitlin Clark's representatives announce she will not participate in the NBA's All-Star weekend, citing her desire to compete in the WNBA 3-point contest first. Last year, Clark declined the WNBA 3-point competition invite due to her needing rest from a busy year.
The 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend will be in Indianapolis, with Clark's Fever playing host to the event.
The NBA is said to still be moving forward with a Curry vs. Ionescu rematch.
Feb. 13, 2025: The NBA calls the Curry vs. Ionescu rematch off, claiming the league couldn't decide on something to raise the bar from last year.
"We weren't able to land on a plan we thought would raise the bar off of last year's special moment," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. "We all agreed not to proceed and will instead keep the focus on All-Star Sunday's new format."
Presumably, the league was banking on Clark and Thompson's additions to create a 2-on-2 3-point contest, so when Clark declined the invite, the NBA couldn't come up with a different angle.
Feb. 14, 2025: Stephen A. Smith makes the case that Ionescu and Clark are trying to send a message to the NBA.
"I think these ladies are sending a message," Smith said on First Take. "I think they're sending a message that the elevation of our product is our priority, and as a result of that, since we're gaining that traction, we're gonna be fixated on growing that."
MORE: Full lineup and participants for 3-Point Contest
NBA All-Star weekend schedule 2025
Here's the full list of events for this year's All-Star weekend:
Friday, Feb. 14
- 7:00 p.m. ET: All-Star Celebrity Game
- 9:00 p.m. ET: Rising Stars Tournament
Saturday, Feb. 15
- 8:00 p.m. ET: Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest
Sunday, Feb. 16
- 8:00 p.m. ET: NBA All-Star Game Tournament
PREDICTIONS: Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest, All-Star MVP and more expert picks for 2025