Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark, the top scorer in the history of NCAA Division I women's basketball, is set to join the 2024 WNBA Draft after the current season.
At 22 years old, she is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest women's collegiate players ever, making her an undoubtedly coveted prospect.
The Indiana Fever will have the first pick in the draft for the second consecutive year. The 2024 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 15, 2024, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York.
3 bold WNBA predictions for Caitlin Clark in rookie season
1. Caitlin Clark will break the WNBA single-season record for made threes.
Clark has established herself as a prolific three-point shooter, currently tallying 503 successful three-pointers and counting. She is second in all-time three-pointers made in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.
Clark maintains an average of 5.4 made three-pointers per game this season and 3.9 for her collegiate career. Considering the heightened competition in the WNBA, let's assume she would only make 3.4 three-pointers per game in the pros.
With the WNBA's 40-game regular season, she would be on track to make 136 three-pointers. This would surpass the WNBA single-season record set by New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who made 128 threes in the 2023 season.
2. Indiana Fever will make the postseason and do some damage.
The Indiana Fever's rebuilding efforts are reaching fruition with their upcoming selection of Clark.
In the 2023 draft, they also secured the first overall pick and chose Aliyah Boston, a power forward/center from South Carolina, who was widely considered the best female college player at the time.
Boston seamlessly transitioned her skills to the professional level, earning a spot in the WNBA All-Star game during her rookie year. Remarkably, she became only the sixth rookie in league history to start in the All-Star game and went on to clinch the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year award unanimously.
Despite Boston's stellar performance, the Fever concluded the season in 10th place out of the league's 12 teams, falling short of making the postseason.
Now, with the potential addition of Clark to their roster, the Fever boasts a formidable one-two punch. This dynamic duo increases their chances of making the postseason and positions them to make a significant impact and advance further in the playoffs.
3. Caitlin Clark will lead the league in scoring.
In 2023, Seattle Storm star Jewell Loyd claimed the top spot in the league's scoring charts, averaging 24.7 points per game. This is the second-highest scoring average in league history, trailing only Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi's 25.3 points per game in 2006.
Considering Clark's extraordinary abilities, there is a compelling case for her to contend for the league's scoring title as early as her rookie year. She is currently averaging 32.2 points per game this season in Iowa.
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