Indiana Fever select Clark with first pick of WNBA Draft
Iowa sharpshooter Caitlin Clark entered the professional ranks on Monday, going first overall to the Indiana Fever in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft following a record-breaking collegiate career.
The selection came as no surprise after the 22-year-old broke the all-time NCAA scoring record and sent TV ratings skyrocketing during the March Madness tournament in her final college season.
"I'm just very lucky to be in this moment and all these opportunities and these things are once in a lifetime," said Clark.
Fans swarmed outside the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and a sold-out audience erupted in applause when Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Clark's selection.
Cameron Brink, Stanford's fearsome shot-blocker, went second to the Los Angeles Sparks, with the Chicago Sky taking South Carolina's Brazilian phenom Kamilla Cardoso third.
More than 18 million people watched South Carolina defeat Iowa in the collegiate final last week. Clark will be one of the most popular attractions in the upcoming WNBA season, and the ticket resale market has exploded in anticipation of her appearance.
"We are witnessing a transformational moment in sports that we may not experience for generations," Engelbert told reporters ahead of the draft on Monday night. "We are ready for this moment."
Clark joins Aliyah Boston, last year's first overall draft pick and unanimous Rookie of the Year, on an ailing Indiana Fever team that hasn't had a winning season since 2015.
"I am confident she will have an immediate impact on our team and the league," Fever General Manager Lin Dunn said in a statement. "Any time you can add two consecutive No. 1 draft selections, it creates enormous interest and visibility."
Clark said she would rely on Boston and some of the team's more senior members as she embarks on a new chapter in her career.
"I'm 22 years old, and, I don't have all the answers in the world," Clark told reporters. "This is something new to me. This is a new challenge. And that's something I'm excited for."
The WNBA regular season begins on May 14.
SportsLigue