Mitchell Northam
April 15, 2024 9:20 pm ET
The college season is over and now the women’s basketball calendar turns toward the professional ranks.
It’s draft day for the WNBA, y’all.
This draft in Brooklyn, New York, is a star-studded one. It’s widely expected that Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark will be picked first overall by the Indiana Fever, and players from Stanford’s Cameron Brink to LSU’s Angel Reese to South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso should be drafted in the few picks that follow. And no, as we’ve told you before, these players won’t be taking a pay cut when they leave the college ranks for the WNBA.
As the draft progresses, we’ll grade each pick in real time as they come in — and we’ll factor in trades when they’re reported). So, keep refreshing this page to get our opinions on each of the first 12 selections.
Here are the picks:
1
Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Caitlin Clark before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A
For the second straight year, the Fever had the No. 1 overall pick, and for the second straight year, there was little debate as to who the Indiana franchise would take.
At Iowa, Clark set records in scoring and helped the sport shatter marks in viewership. The Fever are hoping she’ll do the same at the pro level. Tickets for this draft sold out within minutes and prices for Fever tickets began to surge when it became clear that Clark would be the top selection.
Clark enters the league with a target on her back though. Veterans like Diana Taurasi are eager to show the rookie that dominating in the W won’t be so easy. Still, expectations will be higher for the Fever this year as Clark will be paired with a former college National Player of the Year and last season’s Rookie of the Year, South Carolina product Aliyah Boston.
2
Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink, Stanford
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cameron Brink before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B+
This pick seemed like another no-brainer for the Sparks. Brink was probably the all-around best player available after Clark and she fills a need for Los Angeles, providing the Sparks with a player who can score in the post and stretch the floor, and someone who can protect the rim against the WNBA’s skilled bigs.
A product of Stanford, the 6-foot-4 Brink was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year this past season after leading women’s college basketball in blocks per game with 3.7 and she was also fifth in rebounding with 11.8.
3
Chicago Sky: Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Kamilla Cardoso before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B+
A lot of folks had Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson projected as the third overall pick, but Cardoso — named the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four this season — fills a lot of needs for a Sky team that is in full rebuilding mode too.
Cardoso has something you can’t teach: height. She’s 6-foot-7, and a lot of talent evaluators believe she’s far from reaching her full potential. Cardoso hit the first 3-pointer of her career in this season’s SEC tournament, and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds in South Carolina’s national championship win over Iowa. Her size and skillset has long made her an intriguing pro prospect.
4
Los Angeles Sparks: Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Rickea Jackson before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: A
This is another pick that made a lot of sense for a lot of reasons. After taking Brink second, and Cardoso going to the Sky at No. 3, the Sparks didn’t need to reach for another rim protecter or pure post player. Instead, they got Jackson, who — outside of Caitlin Clark — has been deemed by many to be the most pro-ready scorer in this draft.
Jackson is versatile, long and can score inside and out. This season at Tennessee, she scored 20.2 points per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 33.8 percent from 3-point land. Also, Jackson has already shown she hang with — and score against — top talent, as she racked up 15 points, five boards and two steals in Tennessee’s scrimmage against Team USA last fall.
5
Dallas Wings: Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Jacy Sheldon poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after she is selected with the number five overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: C+
Were there better players left on the board with the fifth overall pick here? Yes, from Angel Reese to Alissa Pili.
But Sheldon is a dynamic guard and a solid 3-point shooter who should provide a boost and fill a need for the Wings — a franchise that was dead last in shooting from behind the arc last season, knocking down just 31.7 percent of their looks from deep. The Wings were also 11th in assisted shot rate last season.
Sheldon shot 37.5 percent from 3-point land last season and led the Buckeyes in assists with 3.8 per game.
6
Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Aaliyah Edwards before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B
The Mystics could’ve gone with Angel Reese here — bringing her close to her home in Baltimore, Maryland — but went with Edwards instead, which is perfectly fine. The 6-foot-3 product of Canada is one of the most pro-ready frontcourt players in this draft, which fills a need for the rebuilding Mystics, considering Elena Delle Donne will not play this season.
Edwards can score, defend and rebound at a high level, and helped the Huskies make the Final Four this season. Like Reese, there’s a bit to be desired in her offensive game outside of the paint, but Edwards has made up for it with her versatility on defense and tenacity on the boards.
7
Chicago Sky: Angel Reese, LSU
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Angel Reese before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: C+
After taking Kamilla Cardoso third overall, did the Sky really need to take another post player that might be a bit of a project and take time to develop? (Also, did anyone in the Sky front office read the profile of Reese by ESPN’s Katie Barnes, where Cardoso was mentioned quite often? Did they watch the SEC tournament title game? Are we sure they can coexist on the same team?)
Nevertheless, getting Reese is a good grab by the Sky. But most importantly, they need to give her time to develop and be patient with her progress. Her rebounding skills should be transferrable right away, as should her competitive fire, desire to win and athleticism.
8
Minnesota Lynx: Alissa Pili, Utah
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Alissa Pili before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B
It’s unclear what position Pili will be in the WNBA, but if anyone can figure it out, it’s Cheryl Reeve, a four-time WNBA Finals-winning coach and the current coach of the U.S. National Team.
Pili is a versatile 6-foot-2 forward who can bang in the post and knock down shots from deep range. Consider that Pili was one of just four players in the country this year to average at least 21 points, 6.5 rebounds, two assists and 1.5 made 3-pointers per game. She could be a Swiss-Army-Knife of sorts for the Lynx.
9
Dallas Wings: Carla Leite (France)Grade: D+
Check this out:
For the second year in a row, the No. 1 pick in tonight's WNBA Draft is a foregone conclusion. Curious how the rest of the draft will shake out after the Fever take Caitlin Clark? Here's a compilation of the results of 32 recent mock drafts.
🧵for sources pic.twitter.com/QYOV7fXnUB
— Her Hoop Stats (@herhoopstats) April 15, 2024
That’s a graph showing 32 WNBA mock drafts, and not one of them projects Carla Leite to be a first round pick. So, either the Dallas Wings are smarter than everyone else, or they’re taking a risk of missing big on a first-round pick.
She was the MVP of the U20 European Championship last summer. Time will tell how this one pans out.
10
Connecticut Sun: Leila Lacan (France)
France’s Leila Lacan (L) fights for the ball with Montenegro’s Bojana Kovacevic during the FIBA Women’s Eurobasket 2023 quarter final match between France and Montenegro at the Arena Stozice in Ljubljana, on June 22, 2023. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP) (Photo by JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images)
Grade: C
It’s hard to know how players from foreign countries will fit into the WNBA, but Lacan (unlike Leite) is a player that folks who pay attention to the W expected to be drafted. She’s billed by many as a good ball handler with sharp vision and quick speed. She’s only 19, so it may be a year or so before we see Lacan play in the WNBA.
11
New York Liberty: Marquesha Davis, Ole Miss
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Marquesha Davis poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after she is selected with the number eleven overall pick to the New York Liberty in the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: D+
Davis is a really good defender, and the Liberty are hopeful that skill will translate to the WNBA, but there’s a lot to be desired in her offensive game, where she shot just 23.9 percent from 3-point land this past season at Ole Miss.
This pick is a puzzling one considering that Ohio State’s Celeste Taylor was still on the board — she’s a better defender (and was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award last season) and shooter. Also still available was UConn’s Nika Muhl, who gave Caitlin Clark fits at the Final Four.
12
Atlanta Dream: Nyadiew Puoch (Australia)
Apr 15, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Nyadiew Puoch before the 2024 WNBA Draft at Brooklyn Academy of Music. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Grade: B
Puoch was widely projected to be a first-round pick and she fell to the Dream with the final pick in the opening round.
The 6-foot-1 Australian has speed, size, versatility and a knack for being an imposing and switchable defender. There’s more to be desired in her offensive game, but she has flashed the ability to be a reliable 3-point shooter.
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