Tonight, one of the most storied prospective college classes in a generation, headlined by two-time Naismith College Player of the Year Caitlin Clark, is set to take the leap to the pros. And we’ll all have a (virtual) first-round seat to the action.
The draft tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Fans looking to take in the fun via streaming can tune into ESPN+, Sling TV, and Fubo TV.
Clark is the obvious choice for the Indiana Fever’s No. 1 pick at the top of the draft. The six-foot sharpshooting point guard has piled up accolades at every level of the draft. In addition to that Naismith honor, she has twice been named the Associated Press Player of the Year and USBWA National Player of the Year. She’s also won the Wade Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, and Honda Sports Award twice, to boot. A four-time All-American First Teamer (and three-time unanimous selection), Clark is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history, in either men’s or women’s hoops.
Though she is finishing her collegiate career having never won a national title, Clark did lead her Hawkeyes to consecutive championship game berths. This past season, the 22-year-old posted averages of 31.6 points on .455/.378/.860 shooting splits, along with 8.9 assists, 7.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks a night.
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Beyond the Fever, all eyes will be on the Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky. Both clubs have a whopping two picks in the first round of this year’s draft. The Sparks, who won their last title in 2016, have the Nos. 2 and 4 selections, while the Sky, who won with a star-studded veteran cast in 2021 (Candace Parker starred on both championship squads), have the third and seventh picks.
Clark’s top two title game foes are both also likely to be picked early in the first round this year, albeit after Clark. Reigning NCAA champion Kamilla Cardoso, a 6-foot-7 senior center on this year’s undefeated (38-0) South Carolina Gamecocks, and 2023 champ Angel Reese, a 6-foot-3 senior power forward on the LSU Tigers (whom Clark vanquished in an Elite Eight revenge game this year) are both seen as top-seven selections, according to Michael Voepel of ESPN.
Reese is perhaps second only to Clark in terms of national visibility. Her limitations as a shooter have her seen as more of a later top-10 pick than some of her peers. Reese’s upside and versatility on defense, however, plus her ability to get to the line, make her a very tantalizing prospect, and still a potential All-Star. In her 33 games as a senior last year, she averaged 18.6 points on 47.1% shooting from the floor, 13.4 rebounds (second-most in the country), 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals and one block a night.
She was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player last year, as well as a unanimous NCAA All-American First Team pick. She was also voted a two-time All-American First Teamer by the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. She was a two-time First-Team All-SEC selection, and an All-Big Ten First Teamer while with Maryland in 2022. The Associated Press named her to its first (2023), second (2024) and third (2022) All-American teams. She was also a two-time SEC All-Defensive Teamer and a one-time Big Ten All-Defensive Teamer.
6-foot-4 senior Stanford power forward Cameron Brink, one of the top rebounders in college last year (her 11.9 boards a game rank fifth), is seen as another elite pick in this year’s draft. Connecticut Huskies power forward Aaliyah Edwards, Ohio State shooting guard Jacy Sheldon, and Tennessee small forward Rickea Jackson are also vying to be selected in the top five.
Uncommon Knowledge
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