Iowa basketball superstar Caitlin Clark declares for WNBA Draft
Iowa's Caitlin Clark, who is on the verge of becoming the all-time NCAA scoring leader in college basketball, announced Thursday that she will leave the Hawkeyes after this season and enter the WNBA Draft.
"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa," Clark wrote in a post on the X social media platform. She thanked her teammates, coaches and the thousands of fans who have packed arenas across the country to watch her and the sixth-ranked Hawkeyes.
WATCH: Fans react to Caitlin Clark's announcement that she's headed to the WNBA
Clark emerged as a focal point for women's basketball, with her flashy play and 3-point shot, often from the on-court logo. Many players would have been benched for shooting from so far out, but Clark had the green light from her coach and she has delivered while also finding her teammates and hitting the boards.
The guard, with one more year of eligibility, became the all-time leading women's scorer in major college basketball by scoring 33 points to pass Lynette Woodard and post her 17th career triple-double in a 108-60 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Clark also broke the NCAA single-season record by sinking eight 3-pointers for a total of 156 in 2023-24. She now has 3,650 career points. Woodard had 3,649 points for Kansas from 1977-81, before the NCAA sanctioned the sport. Earlier this month, Clark broke Kelsey Plum's NCAA scoring record (3,527 points).
Next up is the overall NCAA scoring record of Pete Maravich, who is just 17 points ahead of her.
More Caitlin Clark coverage
- What to know about 2024 WNBA Draft now that Caitlin Clark has declared
- Caitlin Clark points tracker: Hawkeyes star continues to add to record total
- Caitlin Clark passes another all-time great scorer. Next up: 'Pistol' Pete
- This Is Iowa: Home and away crowds clamor for a glimpse of Caitlin Clark
- This Is Iowa: Home and away crowds clamor for a glimpse of Caitlin Clark
- What shoes does Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark wear?
This Is Iowa: Hawkeye basketball fans crowd Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a glimpse of Caitlin Clark
What to know about the 2024 WNBA Draft
The WNBA Draft will have a new home this year and for the first time in eight seasons have the space for 1,000 fans to attend.
The league will hold the annual event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on April 15. Recent drafts, which were held in Manhattan, were in smaller, more intimate venues that didn't have room for fans.
“We are focused on creating elevated events that WNBA fans won’t want to miss, at a time when the energy for the WNBA has never been higher,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. “Last season resulted in our most-watched-regular season in over two decades, our highest total attendance in 13 years and set record figures across WNBA digital and social platforms."
The Indiana Fever have the top pick in the draft for the second consecutive year. Last season the team drafted Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 pick and many think Clark is at the top of the draft board this year.
UConn star Paige Bueckers, who was projected to be drafted in the lottery, has said she will return for at least one more season at the school. Stanford's Cameron Brink and LSU's Angel Reese haven't announced whether they will turn pro or come back to college for another year.
The league will have the draftees visit the Empire State Building earlier in the day for a lighting ceremony and they will also have a chance to showcase their personalities and unique fashion styles on an “Orange Carpet” before the draft.
2024 WNBA Draft order
First Round
- Indiana Fever
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
- Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
- Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
- Washington Mystics
- Minnesota Lynx
- Chicago Sky (from Atlanta, via Los Angeles)
- Dallas Wings
- Connecticut Sun
- New York Liberty
- Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)