The Women’s National Basketball Association was the center of attention on the night of Monday, April 15, as they held their draft in Brooklyn, Ny. This was a special one, as not only is this a group loaded with future stars, but it’s a group that’s been growing the game of women’s college basketball for the past couple years. Now, they’ll look to continue the growth of the WNBA.
You can’t walk away from the night without talking about guard Caitlin Clark and her new team in the Indiana Fever. After a beyond historic career at Iowa, Clark joins a young Fever team, immediately creating a dynamic duo with 2023 number one pick Aliyah Boston, who graduated from women’s basketball powerhouse, the University of South Carolina. In an interview with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, Clark outlined her journey up to this point.
“My parents always instilled confidence in me from a young age,” Clark told Rowe. “I earned it and that’s why I’m so proud of it.”
Clark’s popularity is already having an effect on the WNBA too. Following the draft, Fanatics sold out of her new Fever jersey. With the numbers that she’s already setting off the court, it’s safe to say that WNBA could be in for a record year thanks to her and her fellow draftmates.
The Los Angeles Sparks are another team that were the center of attention coming out of the draft. Heading into the night, the Sparks held their own pick at number two overall, and also the fourth pick, which came from the Seattle Storm in a deal for the Sparks’ 2026 first round selection. With the picks, the Sparks hit a home run. Center Cameron Brink from Stanford was their first selection. Brink offers scoring from all levels, but most notably offers high-powered defense, which earned her Defensive Player of the Year honors in college. A couple picks later, they took Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson, who is seen as an athletic, high-level scorer, seen in her 20.2 points per game on 48.5 percent shooting. She offered her perspective on what she can bring to the pros.
“I feel like I’m very versatile [and] I can play multiple positions,” Jackson said in an ESPN interview. “There’s still room to grow and I’m willing to be a sponge and continue to be a better player.”
As the draft ended, the Sparks came out big winners and it’s expected they’ve landed two franchise cornerstones.
Another lead storyline from Monday night’s event was the Chicago Sky. The Sky landed two big-time additions inside with 6’7” center from South Carolina Kamilla Cardoso and electric forward from Louisiana State University Angel Reese. The team had to trade up with the Minnesota Lynx from eight to seven to set themselves in position to draft Reese, and while the Sky had to move on from a lot, they’ve solidified the front court for the upcoming season. These two, who squared off in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, will make it difficult for any team to find success in the paint with their defensive tendencies and ferocity on the boards, and Reese talked about how she feels about the selections.
“I’m so excited I get to play with Kamilla, I’ve been playing against her since high school,” Reese told ESPN’s Rowe. “… so I’m excited to play with Kamilla and [Teresa Weatherspoon] is amazing, she’s done some great things and I’m excited to be coached by her.”
There was plenty of talent in this draft and the game’s growth is going to surge moving forward. With UConn guard Paige Bueckers headlining next year’s draft, there will be plenty more talent and popularity joining the party. It should be a fun next few seasons to watch this league really take off.
