Even though Iowa’s Caitlin Clark still has a decision to make on whether or not to return for a fifth season, that hasn’t stopped WNBA teams from salivating at the prospect of drafting her next summer.
Latest mock version of ESPN’s 2024 WNBA The Iowa women’s basketball star will be the first overall pick for the Indiana Fever, which would team her up with former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston. Clark and Boston have gone back and forth to win the Player of the Year award in each of the last two seasons of women’s basketball.
“Last season’s national player of the year guided Iowa to its second Final Four in program history and first championship game,” ESPN’s breakdown reads. “Clark led the nation in 3-point shooting average (140) and assists (8.6), and she was second in scoring average (27.8). Clark’s addition to a team with such good young post players could reignite playoff fever for the first time since 2016.
“That said, Clark is royalty in Iowa, has done well in NIL and may want to stay a fifth year in his home state.”
Right now, the Fever have the best chance of landing next year’s No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft Lottery. The WNBA calculates lottery odds based on the combined records of the past two seasons, giving the Fever (18-58) a 44.2 percent chance of landing the top pick.
The other three teams in the lottery are listed below with their combined record over the past two seasons and their chances of landing the top pick:
- Phoenix Mercury: (24-52), 27.6%
- Los Angeles Sparks: (30-46), 17.8%
- Seattle Storm: (33-43), 10.4%
While Clark is widely expected to go No. 1 no matter which draft she enters, which team lands the top pick could certainly influence Clark’s decision. If it’s Fever, it could spur Clark to turn pro given that former Hawkeye Connor McCaffery works for the Indiana Pacers (A recent Instagram post from Clark suggested they were a couple). Clark and Boston together would give Indiana a formidable duo to build around as well.
More:Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark wins 93rd Sullivan Award as top amateur athlete
If Phoenix lands the top pick and selects Clark, it would pair one former Iowa star with another, Megan Gustafson. Established veterans like Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner are also on the roster and could be valuable resources as Clark inevitably becomes the face of the franchise.
Clark’s professional prospects will be a topic throughout the upcoming women’s basketball season, which begins for Iowa on Nov. 6 against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Hawkeyes were recently ranked No. 6 in The Athletic’s preseason top 25, and Clark will have a target on his back all season.
More:Another robust non-conference program awaits Caitlin Clark, Iowa women’s basketball
A decision on a fifth year will likely come after the 2023-24 season. That won’t stop WNBA teams from dreaming about Clark in the months to come.
“If you can get young players to play at a high level, with the salary cap and the way it works, that’s the asset,” Taurasi told ESPN. “And if you can find a player who will change your franchise over the next 10 to 15 years, you will be a lucky team.
“When you look at this (potential) draft class — what these kids have done the last few years — there are some names that could change your team.”
Dargan Southard is a sports trends reporter covering Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
