The American public has been blessed the last month with women’s March Madness. The Elite Eight and Final Four featured numerous unforgettable moments, including the highly-anticipated rematch of last year’s Finals between the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers. Iowa’s Final Four game against UConn also provided us with a highly controversial finish as well, only building the anticipation for the Finals.
The 2024 Finals delivered as well. Stars got their moments, and South Carolina finished their undefeated season with a definitive exclamation point.
But there is no time to waste. It’s time to look ahead to the WNBA Draft. With so many huge stars lined up to join the WNBA this year including Finals participants Caitlin Clark and Kamilla Cardoso, there is a ton to speculate on prior to the draft in eight days. Here are the latest projections on where stars like Clark, Cardoso, and LSU’s Angel Reese are expected to go.
Women’s College Basketball: Caitlin Clark may be leaving, but women’s basketball should maintain this level of excitement
2024 WNBA Draft order
First Round
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Indiana Fever
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Los Angeles Sparks
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Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
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Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
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Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
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Washington Mystics
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Minnesota Lynx
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Chicago Sky (from Atlanta, via Los Angeles)
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Dallas Wings
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Connecticut Sun
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New York Liberty
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Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)
First-round predictions
1) Indiana Fever
CBS Sports: G Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Sporting News: G Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Tankathon: G Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Named the Naismith Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is a no-brainer for first overall pick at the upcoming WNBA Draft. Even if a team did not believe Clark was the most talented player in this year’s class, Clark’s superstardom would attract so many fans that the revenue she’d generate would make her an obvious selection on its own. Clark’s scoring ability, remarkable court vision, and clutch gene is guaranteed to make her a star in the WNBA.
2) Los Angeles Sparks
CBS Sports: C Cameron Brink, Stanford
Sporting News: C Cameron Brink, Stanford
Tankathon: C Cameron Brink, Stanford
Brink is a defensive machine, so much so that despite being in one of the most loaded classes in WNBA Draft history, she’s a near lock for the second overall pick. During the tournament, Brink recorded 32 rebounds and 18 blocks in just 71 minutes.
3) Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
CBS Sports: F Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Sporting News: F Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Tankathon: F Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Rickea Jackson’s efficiency during the tournament was insane, shooting an astonishing 63.9% from the field through two games. Jackson’s size, athleticism, and rare shooting ability from midrange make her a lock for a top-three selection.
4) Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
CBS Sports: C Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Sporting News: C Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Tankathon: C Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Cardoso dominated throughout most of the NCAA Finals. Her incredible ability to body other women on the court and dominate the boards is unmatched at the collegiate level. Cardoso is also incredibly efficient from close to the rim. She possesses a remarkable mix of scoring and rebounding prowess.
5) Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
CBS Sports: G Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Sporting News: F Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Tankathon: F Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
The Wings have a lot of question marks heading into the draft. Luckily for them, the top-four is pretty much locked in, so there are a lot of different avenues the Wings could go at their current position. While Edwards is thought of as the more complete player, Sheldon would fit the Wings’ current needs more and offer a defensive-minded guard that the team sorely lacks.
6) Washington Mystics
CBS Sports: F Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Sporting News: G Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Tankathon: F/C Angel Reese, LSU
The mock drafts are all over the place for the Washington Mystics at sixth overall. If Edwards is available at six, it would be hard for the Mystics to pass on her all-around abilities. However, Angel Reese’s defensive capabilities could be a little more appealing.
7) Minnesota Lynx
CBS Sports: F/C Angel Reese, LSU
Sporting News: F/C Angel Reese, LSU
Tankathon: G Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Most sites expect Reese to go seventh overall to the Minnesota Lynx. Reese’s shortcomings on offense are well-documented, shooting an abysmal 7-of-21 in LSU’s Elite Eight loss to Iowa. However, Reese was a double-double machine in college and would carry on the LSU-Minnesota Lynx connection that started with Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles.
8) Chicago Sky (from Atlanta, via Los Angeles)
CBS Sports: F Nyadiew Puoch, Australia
Sporting News: F Nyadiew Puoch, Australia
Tankathon: F Alissa Pili, Utah
With the Sky having to give the Dallas Wings their 2025 first-round pick, it could favor the Sky to take a huge swing on a prospect from outside the United States like Puoch. Puoch won’t be a massive impact player at the WNBA level right away, but at just 19 years old, she would be a long-term project that could pay off massive dividends down the line. Of course, the Sky could go another route as Tankathon predicts, but Puoch makes a lot of sense given Chicago’s position.
9) Dallas Wings
CBS Sports: G Isobel Borlase, Australia
Sporting News: G Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Tankathon: G Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Although most people expect the Wings to trade either this pick or the fifth pick given their unfortunate cap situation, the Wings could still opt for a player like Osborne or Borlase and work some magic to make everything fit. Borlase could be an interesting fit if the Wings want to play more for the future, which could be smart given their pick-swap with Chicago in 2025. However, a strong perimeter defender in Osborne would also be a great fit.
10) Connecticut Sun
CBS Sports: F Alissa Pili, Utah
Sporting News: C Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Tankathon: F Nyadiew Puoch, Australia
With Connecticut losing three of their five players with two or more three-point attempts per game a season ago, the Sun could definitely use help from downtown. Pili was one of the most efficient players from that range this season, shooting over 40% from three-point territory. However, going for a huge value pick like the oft-injured, but immensely talented Ayoka Lee or an international project prospect like Puoch, would also make a lot of sense if the Sun are looking to change how their offense has looked in recent years.
11) New York Liberty
CBS Sports: G Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Sporting News: F Alissa Pili, Utah
Tankathon: C Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
The Liberty need help defensively on the perimeter, which would make Osborne a great fit. However, Osborne could very well be gone by this point in the draft. If that winds up being the case, the Liberty could opt for a much different approach and lean into their strengths. Pili’s ability to stretch the floor would likely play well in New York’s offense.
12) Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)
CBS Sports: G Nika Muhl, UConn
Sporting News: G Leila Laca, France
Tankathon: C Taiyanna Jackson, Kansas
While the Atlanta Dream don’t have a serious need at any position — especially considering they added Jordin Canada during the offseason — they could still use some depth in the backcourt. Both Muhl and Laca are great ball-handlers and have the ability to take on a scoring role when the situation calls for it. Either would be a fantastic addition to the Dream.
When is the 2024 WNBA Draft?
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 WNBA mock drafts: Predictions for Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso
