NEW YORK – Caitlin Clark headlines a talented Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft on April 15, as the Iowa guard and presumed first overall pick begins the next phase of her career.
There are not many surprises expected, with Clark all but assured to go to an ailing Indiana Fever, after she broke Pete Maravich's 54-year-old all-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scoring record this season and became appointment viewing in American households.
“I’m eager to see players around (Clark) who can consistently see what she sees and finish what she delivers to them,” women’s basketball Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said last week.
“There will be challenges, but at the same time, the talent around her is also going to be better.”
If all goes as expected, Clark will join 2023’s unanimous Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston in an effort to revive the Fever, who have not had a winning season since 2015.
The Fever sold out seats for games against the Connecticut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks within hours of putting them on sale. Courtside seats for the May 28 game with Los Angeles in Indianapolis were going for US$660 (S$899) on one resale website.
The Sparks will have a pair of picks in the top five – at No. 2 and No. 4 – with an embarrassment of riches to choose from at the Brooklyn affair.
Stanford’s Cameron Brink could add extraordinary shot-blocking ability to a struggling Sparks team that ended last season with a disappointing 17-23 record.
And 2.01m Brazilian centre Kamilla Cardoso is another appealing option, after averaging 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in her final year at South Carolina.
The Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings have the third and fifth selections, respectively.
Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said fostering young talent was one of her top goals for the upcoming season.
“It’s my job to be a good steward over these picks,” she said. “I anticipate that we’re going to have a training camp that’s going to be really competitive.”
Other names to watch out for on April 15 night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music include Connecticut forward Aaliyah Edwards, Louisiana State University’s charismatic leader Angel Reese and Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson.
Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA’s commissioner, said last week that Clark and the next generation of women’s basketball players will be economic engines that will ensure the league’s financial footing for the next 30 years.
She told CNBC that the WNBA expects to see its existing media deals double in value, from around US$50 million a year to US$100 million, when they are next negotiated in 2025.
“We hope to at least double our rights fees,” she said. “Women’s sports rights fees have been undervalued for too long. So we have this enormous opportunity at a time when the media landscape is changing so much.” REUTERS, AFP
