By Peter Melahn, Staff Writer
Caitlin Clark, perhaps the most highly anticipated prospect in WNBA history, has been drafted first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever.
Widely considered one of the greatest players in NCAA history, Clark ended her college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes this March in the women’s National Championship, losing to undefeated South Carolina. She had an unprecedented season, surpassing “Pistol” Pete Maravich to become the number one all-time scorer in NCAA history, finishing her career at Iowa with 3,951 points.
Clark led the Hawkeyes to their second-straight national championship game in the last two years, ultimately falling short to a juggernaut of a South Carolina team. On their route to the championship, Clark and the Hawkeyes knocked off Holy Cross, West Virginia, Colorado and, in redemption for last year’s championship loss, defending national champions Angel Reese and LSU. Clark ended the season with a nation-leading average of 31.6 points per game and 8.9 assists per game.
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Clark was considered a five-star recruit coming out of high school. She received offers from NCAA Division 1 programs in as early as seventh grade. She chose her home-state team Iowa over other offers from schools such as Notre Dame. In her college debut, she dropped 27 points in a dominant win over Northern Iowa. From the onset, it was clear she was WNBA material.
Clark continued her NCAA career, smashing record after record and eventually passing both the women’s all-time scoring record in the latter half of her senior season and the men’s all-time scoring record in her final regular season game versus number two-ranked Ohio State. She scored 35 points in that game.
It was no surprise when Clark was selected first overall in the WNBA this Monday by the Indiana Fever. Second overall in this year’s draft was forward Cameron Brink from Stanford, who went to the Los Angeles Sparks, followed third overall by center Kamilla Cardoso from South Carolina, who was selected by the Chicago Sky. LSU standout Angel Reese was drafted seventh overall to the Chicago Sky.
Iowa had numerous sell-out games during Clark’s time there, including a 55,000-seat sellout crowd in Iowa’s football stadium. Clark has forever left her legacy not just in NCAA women’s basketball, but in women’s sports as a whole. For the first time in NCAA history, women’s Final Four tickets were more expensive than tickets to the men’s tournament. Nearly 24 million people tuned in to watch Clark and her teammates in the national championship game. Ticket sales for Fever games at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis have already reached record prices.
When interviewed after being selected first overall on Monday, Clark told ESPN, “I earned it.”