From left to right, LSU's Angel Reese, Iowa's Caitlin Clark and Stanford's Cameron Brink pose for a photo before the WNBA basketball draft, Monday, April 15, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

2024 WNBA Draft: Top 5 Storylines

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Just over a week after the conclusion of—commercially speaking—the most successful season of Women’s basketball in NCAA Division I history, the WNBA welcomed a star-studded class of accomplished and decorated players to the pros. On Monday evening, 36 young women had their dreams come true when their names were called at the 2024 WNBA Draft—the most-viewed WNBA draft on record. Beyond who was selected by which team, what were the biggest storylines coming out of the exclusive event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York?

1. Caitlin Clark selected first overall

As expected, the Indiana Fever selected Caitlin Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Fever had hinted at their eventual selection of Clark, who wore No. 22 at Iowa, with “22 DAYS UNTIL” and “22 HOURS UNTIL” posts counting down to the draft. Other franchises hinted at the inevitable with similarly cryptic posts. Clark, who holds the all-time Women’s NCAA Division I scoring record (3,951), will join 2023 No. 1 pick and WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston in Indianapolis in hopes of reviving the Fever franchise—which has finished in the bottom four of the WNBA standings for each of the last seven seasons.

2. Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese become teammates

Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese each held Chicago Sky jerseys as they posed for photos with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected third and seventh, respectively, in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Cardoso led South Carolina to its third national title earlier this month, earned in a victory over Iowa that completed an undefeated season for the Gamecocks. In 2023, Reese led LSU to its first national title—also won over Iowa. The reigning national champion and former national champion, both of whom embraced a fiery head-to-head matchup against each other in the SEC championship game last month, will now come together to form for the Sky what could eventually be one of the WNBA’s fiercest frontcourts.

3. Los Angeles “sparks” new era with two lottery picks

The Los Angeles Sparks selected Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson, respectively, with the second and fourth overall picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft—marking the beginning of a new era in Los Angeles after the Sparks lost franchise cornerstones Candace Parker, Chelsea Gray, and Nneka Ogwumike, each to free agency, over the last several offseasons. Brink, the 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, led the country in blocks (3.74) during her senior campaign at Stanford. She has also proven herself to be a capable scorer. Jackson, who led the SEC in scoring (20.2) during her fifth college season, was widely considered the best wing in the 2024 draft class. Brink and Jackson should work wonderfully in tandem, and the energy that both players bring to the game should be invigorating for a rebuilding Sparks franchise.

4. Nika Mühl destined to follow in Sue Bird’s footsteps

Nika Mühl—who holds UConn’s all-time, single-season, and single-game records for assists (686, 284, and 15, respectively)—was selected early in the second round of the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm, the storied franchise that Sue Bird spent the entirety of her 19-year professional career with. Bird, a four-time WNBA champion and 13-time All-Star, holds the WNBA’s all-time record for assists (3,234) and is almost certain to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame when she becomes eligible in 2027.

Now, Mühl—who wore No. 10 at UConn like Bird, whose iconic No. 10 jersey the Storm retired in 2023—is poised to vie for a spot on a Storm roster that she can likely contribute strong playmaking and defense to while coming off the bench, all the while learning from veteran leaders such as Jewell Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Nneka Ogwumike.

5. Aces land big names without first-round picks

Despite not having any picks in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Las Vegas Aces came out of the evening having drafted the third all-time leading scorer in Women’s NCAA Division I history, a player who helped lead her team to two straight national championship games, and the three-time reigning ACC Player of the Year.

With the No. 16 pick in the draft, the Aces selected 5-foot-5-inch Dyaisha Fair, who scored 3,403 points during her five-year college career. With the No. 18 pick in the draft, the Aces selected Kate Martin, who was to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes’ success during the 2023-24 season as Klay Thompson was to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors’ successes during their multiple championship runs. With the No. 24 pick in the draft, the Aces selected Elizabeth Kitley, who had the fifth-most points per game in the nation (22.8) during her fifth season at Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, Kitley will miss the 2024 WNBA season as she recovers from a torn ACL.

The back-to-back WNBA Champion Aces might ultimately be unable to accommodate all or any of these players on the team’s final roster. But regardless, the franchise’s draft performance was admirable considering its draft positions.

All Picks by Round

Round 1

  1. Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark (PG, Iowa)
  2. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink (PF, Stanford)
  3. Chicago Sky: Kamilla Cardoso (C, South Carolina)
  4. Los Angeles Sparks: Rickea Jackson (SF, Tennessee)
  5. Dallas Wings: Jacy Sheldon (SG, Ohio State)
  6. Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards (PF, UConn)
  7. Chicago Sky: Angel Reese (PF, LSU)
  8. Minnesota Lynx: Alissa Pili (SF, Utah)
  9. Dallas Wings: Carla Leite (SG, France)
  10. Connecticut Sun: Leïla Lacan (PG, France)
  11. New York Liberty: Marquesha Davis (SF, Ole Miss)
  12. Atlanta Dream: Nyadiew Puoch (PF, Australia)

Round 2

  1. Chicago Sky: Brynna Maxwell (SG, Gonzaga)
  2. Seattle Storm: Nika Mühl (PG, UConn)
  3. Indiana Fever: Celeste Taylor (PG, Ohio State)
  4. Las Vegas Aces: Dyaisha Fair (SG, Syracuse)
  5. New York Liberty: Esmery Martinez (PF, Arizona)
  6. Las Vegas Aces: Kate Martin (SG, Iowa)
  7. Connecticut Sun: Taiyanna Jackson (C, Kansas)
  8. Atlanta Dream: Isobel Borlase (PG, Australia)
  9. Washington Mystics: Kaylynne Truong (PG, Gonzaga)
  10. Connecticut Sun: Helena Pueyo (PG, Arizona)
  11. New York Liberty: Jessika Carter (C, Mississippi State)
  12. Las Vegas Aces: Elizabeth Kitley (C, Virginia Tech)

Round 3

  1. Phoenix Mercury: Charisma Osborne (PG, UCLA)
  2. Seattle Storm: Mackenzie Holmes (PF, Indiana)
  3. Indiana Fever: Leilani Correa (PG, Florida)
  4. Los Angeles Sparks: Mackenzie Forbes (SF, USC)
  5. Phoenix Mercury: Jaz Shelley (SG, Nebraska)
  6. Washington Mystics: Nastja Claessens (SG, Belgium)
  7. Minnesota Lynx: Kiki Jefferson (SG, Louisville)
  8. Atlanta Dream: Matilde Villa (SG, Italy)
  9. Dallas Wings: Ashley Owusu (SG, Penn State)
  10. Connecticut Sun: Abbey Hsu (SG, Columbia)
  11. New York Liberty: Kaitlyn Davis (PF, USC)
  12. Las Vegas Aces: Angel Jackson (C, Jackson State)