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WNBA draft: Caitlin Clark selected No. 1 by Indiana Fever, while Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese are teaming up in Chicago
Excitement for womenโs basketball is perhaps the highest itโs ever been.
And now, many of the stars from the NCAA womenโs basketball tournament โ including Iowaโs Caitlin Clark, Stanfordโs Cameron Brink, LSUโs Angel Reese and South Carolinaโs Kamilla Cardoso โ are taking their talents to the WNBA.
As expected, Clark, who helped attract record-breaking TV audiences and sellouts in arenas around the country in her final collegiate season, was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft Monday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.
โI got a little anxious there before the pick,โ Clark said on the ESPN broadcast. She later added: โIโve dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade. Itโs taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to soak it in.โ
Brink went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Chicago Sky, selecting third, took Cardoso, while Rickea Jackson of Tennessee went No. 4 to the Sparks. Rounding out the top five, the Dallas Wings selected Ohio Stateโs Jacy Sheldon.
Cardoso, who is from Brazil, was emotional when reflecting on leaving her home country back when she was 15 to pursue her professional basketball dream.
โI had a goal to be here tonight and give my family a better life, so Iโm just so thankful that I was able to be here,โ she told ESPN through tears.
UConnโs Aaliyah Edwards went sixth overall to the Washington Mystics. Reese, meanwhile, landed with the Sky at No. 7, joining forces with fellow rookie Cardoso. Reese was the 2023 Final Four Most Outstanding Player when LSU won the national title, with Cardoso earning the honor this year after South Carolina completed an undefeated season and won the programโs third national championship.
โComing back (to LSU) would have been amazing for me, but I wanted more for myself,โ Reese said. โI wanted to start over. I feel like I had been on a high since (winning) the national championship, and I want to hit rock bottom.
โI want to be a rookie again. I want to be knocked down by vets, and I want to be able to get up and grow and be a sponge. Iโm just super excited to play with the amazing players and against amazing players.โ