Caitlin Clark felt a bit nervous before the Indiana Fever chose her as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, but it wasn’t unexpected. “I’ve dreamed of this moment since second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, ups and downs, but mostly just trying to take it all in,” said Clark.
Known for her stellar college career at Iowa, Clark is now set to join forces with Aliyah Boston, last season’s top pick, to boost the Indiana team.
“Joining a team with one of the best post players in the world is thrilling for me,” Clark expressed. “And having Aliyah as a teammate again is exciting. I can’t wait.”
It was widely anticipated that Clark would be picked by the Fever after she announced her decision to turn pro on February 29. The draft event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where the Fever and the NBA’s Pacers play, drew a massive crowd, with nearly 17,000 tickets claimed.
Clark has attracted millions of fans to women’s basketball with her unique shots from the midcourt logo and her great passing skills.
As the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, she played a key role in drawing a record 18.9 million viewers to the national championship game, where Iowa lost to undefeated South Carolina. The Hawkeyes had also been national runners-up to LSU the previous year.
Clark has had a busy few weeks. After the championship game, she went to Los Angeles to receive the John R. Wooden Award and then traveled to New York for an appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”
“The last few weeks have been pretty crazy in my life, especially the last two months playing basketball in my college career,” said Clark. “I feel very fortunate to be at this moment, and these opportunities are once in a lifetime.”
Wearing a white Prada jacket and skirt, Clark hugged her parents, brothers, and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder after being drafted.
The draft took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of 1,000 fans, who bought all the tickets within 15 minutes when they went on sale a few months ago.
At No. 2, Los Angeles selected Stanford’s Cameron Brink. She gets to stay in California and brings versatility to the Sparks.c”When they called my name, I felt a rush of emotions,” said Brink. “I saw my mom tearing up, and it hit me.”
Brink, a prolific scorer, also won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. With franchise player Nneka Ogwumike leaving for Seattle in free agency, the Sparks needed a replacement. Brink’s godmother is Sonya Curry, mother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
“I FaceTimed Steph five minutes before the show started, and he said have fun with it,” Brink shared. “He can give so much great advice since he’s been through this. Make stuff like this fun, as it can be stressful.”
Chicago had the third pick and selected South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso before the Sparks were on the clock again and picked Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson.
Cardoso had a busy week, helping the Gamecocks win the national championship to complete an undefeated season. She took part in the team’s championship parade on Sunday before traveling to New York.
Dallas chose Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon with the fifth pick. Washington drafted Aaliyah Edwards of UConn sixth, before Chicago selected LSU’s Angel Reese at No. 7, teaming her with Cardoso.
“She’s a great player, and I’m a great player. Nobody’s going to get no rebounds on us,” the 6-foot-7 Cardoso joked.
Minnesota, which had traded picks with Chicago, drafted Alissa Pili of Utah eighth. A pair of French guards, Carla Leite and Leila Lacan, were selected next by Dallas and Connecticut, respectively.
New York picked Ole Miss’ Marquesha Davis at No. 11, and Atlanta closed out the first round by selecting Australian Nyadiew Puoch.
