new york
CNN
—
The excitement for women's basketball is probably at an all-time high.
And now, many of the stars of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament are taking their talents to the WNBA, including Iowa's Caitlin Clark, Stanford's Cameron Brink, LSU's Angel Reese and South Carolina's Camila Cardoso. .
As expected, Clark, who drew record TV viewership and sold out arenas across the country during his final college season, was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever on Monday in the WNBA Draft at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. was nominated for the position. .
“I was a little nervous before the nomination,” Clark said on the ESPN broadcast. She later added: “I've been dreaming of this moment since I was a sophomore. It took a lot of effort, a lot of ups and downs, but most of all, it was just trying to absorb it.”
Brink was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. The Chicago Sky took Cardoso with the No. 3 pick, and the Sparks went with Tennessee's Rikea Jackson with the No. 4 pick. Rounding out the top five, the Dallas Wings selected Ohio State's Jaycee Sheldon.
Cardoso, a native of Brazil, was emotional as he recalled leaving his home country at the age of 15 to pursue his dream of playing professional basketball.
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Camila Cardoso, who was selected third overall by the Chicago Sky, poses with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“I'm so grateful to be here tonight because my goal was to provide a better life for my family,” she tearfully told ESPN.
UW's Aaliyah Edwards was taken sixth overall by the Washington Mystics. Meanwhile, Reese was ranked seventh on Sky, joining forces with fellow rookie Cardoso. Reese was the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Final Four when LSU won the national title, and Cardoso took that honor this year after the University of South Carolina finished the season undefeated and won the program's third national championship. obtained.
“Coming back (to LSU) would have been great for me, but I wanted more for myself,” Reese said. “I wanted to start over from the beginning. I feel like I've been on a roll since the national championship (winning), so I want to hit rock bottom.
“I want to be a rookie again. I want to get taken down by the vet, and I want to get back up and grow and be a sponge. I'm very excited to play with and against great players.”
Sarah Steer/Getty Images
Angel Reese celebrates with LSU head coach Kim Mulkey after being selected No. 7 overall by the Sky.
Utah's Alyssa Pili was taken eighth overall by the Minnesota Lynx. Two players from France finished in the top 10. The Wings selected Carla Leite with the ninth pick, and the Connecticut Sun selected Layla Laquan with the 10th pick.
The crowd erupted as the New York Liberty selected the No. 11 pick, Ole Miss' Marquesha Davis. To complete the first round, the Atlanta Dream selected Australia's Nyadiu Puoch with the 12th pick.
The buzz around Clark, who will be paired with last year's No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, comes with high expectations and the possibility of a more national audience. On Wednesday, the WNBA announced that 36 of the Fever's 40 games will be featured by the WNBA's national broadcast and streaming partners.
“Caitlin is one of the most naturally talented basketball players I have ever seen coming from the collegiate level to the WNBA,” Fever head coach Christy Sides said. “Her ability to shoot and pass captivated basketball fans across the board, and her ability to improve those around her was even more evident in college. We brought her to Indiana to prepare her for a return to the postseason. I can't wait to welcome them into the locker room with this group.”
The Fever had one of the worst records in the league last season, but the combination of Boston and Clark could be one of the hottest tickets in sports.
“I definitely know there's pressure. I'm aware of that,” Clark told CNN on the orange carpet ahead of the draft. “You can never run away from that. But I think all my own confidence comes from the effort I put in and it comes from my teammates. I know this is a team sport. So I love basketball. It's not an individual sport, so my confidence comes from that. When I have a tense moment or feel pressure, that's what I always rely on. It seems like something that will come back.”
Clark is not alone in the growing interest in the sport. Far from it.
During the regular season and NCAA Tournament, college stars such as Cardoso, Reese, and Brink performed on the big stage.
The WNBA, on the other hand, has had star players since the league's inception. That hasn't changed as the league enters its 28th season.
However, in recent years, the major difference between the professional level and the university level is that it has become easier to watch (and the amount of media coverage has increased).
“I know people keep saying it's a historic draft class, but I think we also need to look back at the draft class that we had in front of us. They were the women we grew up watching. That's why,” Brink told CNN on the orange carpet. . “That's why we do it for them. They're trailblazers and this draft class is great and I couldn't be more proud of us, but they've really put it into practice. are the women who came before us.”
Tickets for Monday's WNBA draft sold out in less than 30 minutes.
Ahead of Monday's draft, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league's goal is to expand to 16 teams and that she is “pretty confident” that will happen by 2028. The league, which currently has 12 teams, will expand to 13 teams in 2025, with one team expected to be added. Added to San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2023, the WNBA had its most-watched regular season in 21 years, and the season-ending WNBA Finals was the most-watched Finals in 20 years. WNBA attendance increased 16% for the 2023 season compared to 2022.
Adam Hunger/Associated Press
From left, Reese, Caitlin Clark and Stanford's Cameron Brink pose for a photo before the start of the WNBA draft.
“I love where the game is going right now and I just want to be a part of the growth,” Reese told CNN on the orange carpet. “Whatever happens, I just want to be a part of it.”
Meanwhile, the NCAA women's tournament title game between South Carolina and Iowa drew an average of nearly 19 million viewers, shattering records and becoming the most-watched women's college basketball game as measured by Nielsen.
Not only did the game surpass the Purdue-UW men's final by more than 4 million viewers, but it was also the most-watched basketball game in the past five years, more than any NBA contest during that span, according to Nielsen.
After last year's heartbreaking national championship game loss, Clark's final dance with the Hawkeyes ended almost like a fairy tale.
In the end, Iowa State again fell at the final hurdle, this time at the hands of undefeated South Carolina, and Clark's 2023-24 season highlighted the impact her popularity and skillset have had on women's basketball. .
Andy Lyons/Getty Images/File
Clark enjoyed a historic 2023-24 season with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Last season, she became the all-time leading scorer for both men and women in Division I college basketball, was named the Naismith Player of the Year for the second straight season, and was a member of the 14-player training camp for the U.S. Women's National Basketball Team. However, because it was held the same week as the Final Four, Clark was unable to attend.
And now, with Clark joining the WNBA, that excitement has taken even further to what she can accomplish in the pros.
Will Clark's matches at the professional level lead to increased interest? The sign points in that direction. But other players make it happen too.
This story has been updated with additional information.
