Caitlin Clark, women's basketball's rising star, selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 pick of the WNBA Draft

The former Iowa Hawkeye makes the leap to arguably the world's top league after a record-breaking college career.

Caitlin Clark, jugadora de los Indiana Fever, durante el draft de la WNBA 2024. — (Cordon Press)

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16 de abril, 2024

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After a record-breaking college career, Caitlin Clark has made the leap to arguably the best women's basketball league on the planet. The Indiana Fever selected the Iowa native with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft.

As soon as she learned she was drafted first overall, Clark took to social media to celebrate the start of her WNBA career with the Fever.

"[I’m] going to a state that not only supports basketball, but women’s basketball,” Clark said. “Going and playing at Indiana [University], the place was sold out. Doing the same for the Fever is certainly our goal, and having a lot of fans there every single night. For myself, I can’t imagine a more perfect fit – a better place for me to start my professional career. An organization that just really just believes in women’s basketball and wants to do everything the right way. I couldn’t be more excited to get there," Clark said after her selection became official.

Current Fever staff praise Clark

Her new coach, Christie Sides, was full of praise for the player:

Caitlin is one of the most naturally gifted basketball players I have ever seen enter the WNBA from the college level. Her shooting and passing abilities captivated an entire audience of basketball fans, and her ability to make those around her better was even more evident during her collegiate career. We can’t wait to bring her to Indiana and incorporate her into our locker room with a group ready to get back to the postseason.

Lin Dunn, general manager of the Indiana Fever, was equally complimentary:

She really fits the culture of what we’re building here. Not only do we want great players on the court, we want great people in the community. And I think when you watch Caitlin Clark — what she does before the game and after the game, how fan-friendly she is, how much she gives back, her foundation — all of the things she does as a person fit with the type of people we want here. The great thing about her, she is a fantastic player and a fantastic person. So it’s a perfect fit for us.

At 22 years old, Clark is poised to headline the next generation of WNBA basketball greats. During her NCAA career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, she averaged 28.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.1 rebounds in her four seasons.