Caitlin Clark, a former Iowa star and household name among basketball fans, was chosen as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever on Monday night. She will now join forces with last season's top pick, Aliyah Boston, in an effort to revitalize the Indiana franchise. Clark's decision to go pro back in February made her selection by the Fever a widely expected outcome.
Known for her signature logo shots and exceptional passing skills, Clark has played a significant role in attracting millions of fans to women's basketball. As the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, she helped draw a record-breaking 18.9 million viewers to the national championship game, where Iowa fell to undefeated South Carolina. The Hawkeyes had previously been national runners-up to LSU in the prior year.
The draft ceremony took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,000 fans, who snapped up all available tickets within just 15 minutes of their release several months earlier.
The excitement continued with the second pick, owned by the Los Angeles Sparks along with the No. 4 selection.
In the recent draft, the top prospects from Stanford, Tennessee, and South Carolina were highly anticipated. Cameron Brink from Stanford, Rickea Jackson from Tennessee, and Kamilla Cardoso from South Carolina were all contenders for the second overall pick. The Chicago team held the third pick, with the Sparks following closely behind in the draft order.
