Caitlin Clark admitted she was a bit nervous earlier than being chosen with the No. 1 decide within the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, although it was no shock.
“I dreamt of this second since I used to be in second grade, and it is taken a variety of laborious work, a variety of ups and downs, however greater than something, simply attempting to soak it in,” Clark stated.
The previous Iowa star grew to become a family identify amongst basketball followers throughout her record-breaking faculty profession, and she is going to now attempt to assist revive the Indiana franchise together with final season’s No. 1 decide, Aliyah Boston.
“The group has probably the greatest put up gamers in your entire world. My level guard eyes mild up with that,” she stated.
WATCH | Clark chosen 1st general by Fever:
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is chosen by the Indiana Fever as the primary decide within the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The Fever taking Clark had been a foregone conclusion since she introduced on Feb. 29 she would flip professional. Almost 17,000 tickets have been claimed to observe the draft at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, residence to the Fever and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.
Clark has helped convey thousands and thousands of followers to the ladies’s recreation together with her signature photographs from the midcourt brand and passing capacity. The NCAA’s all-time scoring chief was an enormous motive why a file 18.9 million viewers tuned in to the nationwide championship recreation, which Iowa misplaced to unbeaten South Carolina. The Hawkeyes have been additionally the nationwide runners-up to LSU a yr earlier.
Clark, who wore a white Prada jacket and skirt, hugged her mother and father and brothers and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder after she was drafted.
With the first decide within the 2024 <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBADraft?src=hash&ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>#WNBADraft</a> offered by <a href=”https://twitter.com/StateFarm?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>@StateFarm</a>, the <a href=”https://twitter.com/IndianaFever?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>@IndianaFever</a> choose <a href=”https://twitter.com/CaitlinClark22?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>@CaitlinClark22</a> of <a href=”https://twitter.com/IowaWBB?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>@IowaWBB</a> ✨✨ <a href=”https://t.co/BU0ewrtwsP”>pic.twitter.com/BU0ewrtwsP</a>
—@WNBA
The draft was held on the Brooklyn Academy of Music in entrance of 1,000 followers, who purchased all of the tickets inside quarter-hour of them happening sale a number of months in the past.
Aaliyah Edwards of Kingston, Ont., was picked sixth general by the Washington Mystics.
The 21-year-old Edwards was projected to be a first-round decide after a four-year profession at UConn the place she was a two-time all-American. Edwards was coming off a senior season by which she averaged profession highs of 17.6 factors and 9.2 rebounds because the Huskies made it to the Last 4 within the NCAA girls’s basketball event.
The six-foot-three ahead broke out in her junior season, averaging 16.6 factors and 9 rebounds per recreation and being a staple of the group’s success because the Huskies handled accidents. She earned AP third-team all-America honours, whereas additionally being named all-Large East first group, Large East most improved participant and Large East Event most excellent participant in 2022-23.
WATCH | Edwards chosen sixth by Mystics:
College of Connecticut Huskies ahead Aaliyah Edwards from Kingston, Ont., is chosen by the Washington Mystics because the sixth decide within the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Los Angeles selected Stanford’s Cameron Brink at No. 2. She’ll get to remain in California and can give the Sparks a two-way participant.
“Once they referred to as my identify, an enormous wave of feelings hit me,” Brink stated. “I noticed my mother tearing up and my dad and it hit residence.”
A prolific scorer, Brink was additionally the Naismith Defensive Participant of the Yr. The Sparks wanted to switch franchise participant Nneka Ogwumike, who left for Seattle in free company. Brink’s godmother, Sonya Curry, is the mom of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
Chicago had the third decide and selected South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso earlier than the Sparks have been on the clock once more and chosen Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson.
Cardoso had a busy week, serving to the Gamecocks win the nationwide championship to finish an undefeated season. She took half within the group’s championship parade on Sunday earlier than travelling to New York.
Dallas took Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon with the fifth decide. Chicago took LSU’s Angel Reese at No. 7, pairing her with Cardoso.
“She’s an awesome participant and I am an awesome participant. No person’s going to get no rebounds on us,” the 6-foot-7 Cardoso stated, laughing.
Minnesota, which had swapped picks with Chicago, drafted Alissa Pili of Utah eighth.
A pair of French guards, Carla Leite and Leila Lacan, went subsequent to Dallas and Connecticut, respectively.
New York drafted Ole Miss’ Marquesha Davis at No. 11 and Atlanta closed out the primary spherical by taking Australian Nyadiew Puoch.
WATCH | Cardoso, South Carolina beat Clark, Iowa in nationwide championship:
Girls’s faculty basketball reached new recognition this March Insanity. Report-smashing star Caitlin Clark dominated headlines — whilst her Iowa squad misplaced to undefeated South Carolina within the nationwide championship recreation — and the game made thousands and thousands of latest followers.
Newest on growth
In the meantime, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert stated she hopes to have 16 groups within the league by 2028, up from the present 12. The WNBA is including a group subsequent yr, when a Golden State franchise in San Francisco will be a part of the league.
Different cities or metropolitan areas that Engelbert stated are within the working embody Philadelphia; Toronto; Portland, Ore.; Denver; Nashville; and South Florida.
CBC Sports activities’ Shireen Ahmed reported in March that MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum is looking for a WNBA growth group via a person holding firm, with an announcement attainable as quickly as Could.
Engelbert stated she bought calls final week from two different cities the league hadn’t been speaking to.
Golden State will get an opportunity to constructed its roster via an growth draft.
“It’ll occur earlier than the faculty draft and we’ll share extra particulars after we get nearer to that,” Engelbert stated. “Speaking to normal managers and coaches and groups and house owners, there might be an growth draft this yr and it’ll in all probability be in December.”
Engelbert additionally stated the league will as soon as once more pay for constitution flights for your entire playoffs in addition to for back-to-back video games in the course of the upcoming season that require air journey.