What we do know is that if she decides to turn pro, Caitlin Clark will be the No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA draft.
More than likely, the only thing that could make her come back is if Iowa gets close to a national title again but doesn’t win. The third-ranked Hawkeyes lost to LSU in the championship game last season.
Let’s assume she enters the draft. Then, the Indiana Fever, picking first for the second straight year, will take her first in our WNBA mock draft 2024. Who goes after that? Here’s how we project it.
Related: Caitlin Clark won’t take a pay cut in the WNBA, but she will be woefully underpaid
WNBA mock draft 2024
| Team | Player | Position | Pre-Draft Team |
| 1. Indiana Fever | Caitlin Clark | Point Guard | Iowa |
| 2. Los Angeles Sparks | Cameron Brink | Power Forward | Stanford |
| 3. Phoenix Mercury | Paige Bueckers | Point Guard | Connecticut |
| 4. Seattle Storm | Kamilla Cardosa | Center | South Carolina |
| 5. Dallas Wings | Aaliyah Edwards | Power Forward | Connecticut |
| 6. Washington Mystics | Rickea Jackson | Power Forward | Tennessee |
| 7. Minnesota Lynx | Nyadiew Puoch | Small Forward | Australia |
| 8. Atlanta Dream | Angel Reese | Power Forward | Louisiana State |
| 9. Dallas Wings | Georgia Amoore | Point Guard | Virginia Tech |
| 10. Connecticut Sun | Alissa Pili | Power Forward | Utah |
| 11. New York Liberty | Charisma Osborne | Shooting Guard | UCLA |
| 12. Los Angeles Sparks | Jacy Sheldon | Shooting Guard | Ohio State |
The recent backlash over the guys on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption saying that Caitlin Clark would take a pay cut when she goes to the WNBA was interesting. It was wrong, of course, but the idea behind it wasn’t.
WNBA players should be getting paid more. Attendance in 2023 was up 16% over the season before and the average attendance was the most since 2010. TV ratings are up and the league’s profile is climbing.
So Clark and others in this draft will make plenty of endorsement money, but the league will get better once the salaries get better.
Related: Caitlin Clark is clotheslined by a fan
Rounding out the Top 10
Cameron Brink has the the size and the moves and will be a great fit with the Sparks. She has the potential to dominate defenders who can’t guard her. Paige Bueckers can step in and replace fellow UConn alum Diana Taurasi at guard in Pheonix. The only concern is her injuries. But if healthy, she could be the best player on the board.
Kamilla Cardosa is 6-foot-7 with good hands and could be a dominant defender at the post for Seattle. Aaliyah Edwards got her shot to show out at Connecticut this year because of injuries and she is versatile and a great perimeter defender.
Rikea Jackson is a proven scorer who is strong around the basket and got much better playing at Tennessee the last two seasons. She should provide instant help for the Mystics inside. Nyadiew Puoch is a 19-year old from Australia who has already got two seasons of pro ball under her belt in her home country. She might be a bit of a project for the Lynx, but in the long run she should be worth it.
Angels Reese is a versatile player who can fit on any roster, and she should make an impact right away for the Dream. That swagger she has doesn’t hurt. Point guard Georgia Amoore led Virginia Tech to the Final Four last season and would another good get for the Wings in this draft.
Alissa Pili is money from 3-point range, hitting 46.7%. The fans in Connecticut would love the Alaskan-born sharpshooter. Charisma Osborne recently reached 2,000 points for her career at UCLA. She would give the Liberty some needed offense. Jacy Shelton came back for a fifth season after an injury-plagued year and is strong both offensively and defensively and could go higher here.