Caitlin Clark goes No. 1 to Indiana Fever in WNBA Draft
There was little drama about who would be the number one overall pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft in Brooklyn.
As expected, the Indiana Fever selected women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark to lead the team into its next era.
Clark, a six-foot do-it-all guard with range and playmaking skills that propelled her into the NCAA record books, will stay in the Midwest and join reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston and 2023 WNBA All-Star Kelsey Mitchell.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest NCAA basketball players of all time, regardless of gender, Clark is the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and was a two-time national player of the year as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
With two picks in the top five of the WNBA Draft, the Los Angeles Sparks had their chance to retool its roster following the departures of mainstay stars Nneka Ogwumike and Jordin Canada.
With the No. 2 overall pick, the Sparks selected 6-foot-4 forward Cameron Brink of Stanford. Brink is the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time AP All-American and a 2021 NCAA Champion.
Brink is a 2021 NCAA Champion and a three-time gold medalist representing the U.S. in International Basketball Federation (FIBA) competitions.
Following Brink’s selection at 2, the Chicago Sky used their pick to select Brazilian big Kamilla Cardoso, who led South Carolina to two NCAA Championships, including the 2024 championship in which the Gamecocks bested the Hawkeyes and kept Clark from a storybook ending.
Cardoso was named the NCAA basketball tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after her 15-point, 17-rebound performance in the championship game against the Hawkeyes.
With the fourth overall pick, the Sparks, who acquired the pick in a trade with the Seattle Storm selected University of Tennessee star Rickea Jackson. Jackson was a three-time All-SEC selection and won a gold medal for U.S.A Basketball in the FIBA under-18 World Cup in the three-on-three tournament.
LSU star Angel Reese, arguably the second-biggest name in the draft who famously battled with Clark in 2023 NCAA Championship game, was drafted 7th overall by the Chicago Sky.
Reese was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in 2023 after leading LSU to its first National Championship and is the reigning SEC Player of the Year.
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