Caitlin Clark Drafted to Indiana Fever in First-Round Pick
The accomplished college player is heading to the pros.
Caitlin Clark became a household name during her college basketball career as she helped take the University of Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship games and set an all-time scoring record for both men and women. Heading in to the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark was expected to be among the first picked players, and now, fans know where she's headed for the next step in her career.
The Indiana Fever had the number-one draft pick this year, and the team wasted no time in choosing Clark to join its ranks. She joins players like University of South Carolina alum Aliyah Boston, the Fever's number-one pick last year, whom Clark defeated in last year's March Madness semifinals.
with the first pick…
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 15, 2024
Caitlin Clark, guard, University of Iowa. pic.twitter.com/8gUOkK15tF
Fever ticket sales have already spiked in anticipation of Clark's drafting. The team's general manager Lin Dunn shared her thoughts on the moment with reporters last week, though she didn't mention Clark by name at the time.
"We had a lot of excitement last year when we had the number-one pick and we went with Aliyah Boston. And there’s a lot of excitement now about having back-to-back picks," Dunn said, per On3. "I think you’ve seen a great deal of interest in ticket sales around this pick, and I think we’re all excited about adding another top pick to this young team. Is there lot going on, is there a lot of noise, is there a lot of excitement? Absolutely."
Clark has fantasized about playing in the WNBA since she was a child. Getting to this point, then, is a dream come true.
"Being confident in all the work I’ve put in, in the moments, and knowing that I’ve earned to be in this moment—that’s always kind of what I remind myself, you know, you’re not here by accident," she told Today the morning of the draft.
She's also elated to see the growth in popularity of women's basketball thanks in part to the hard work of players like her. "Once we’ve been really given an opportunity to show the product, people have really loved it and want to invest in it even more," she said of the new fans. "I think the best thing is they’re here now, let’s continue to bring them in and want them to keep coming back for more."
Angel Reese, another breakout women's college basketball star in recent years, also was a top-10 pick at the draft. She, along with fellow star Kamilla Cardoso, will be joining the Chicago Sky for the upcoming season. So while Clark and Reese rose to fame in college in different parts of the country, they're both set to make the Midwest their new home.