Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on January 10, 2024 in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Indiana may have just struck basketball gold.
Iowa star Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in women's college basketball, announced Thursday that she will enter the 2024 WNBA Draft. The 22-year-old senior has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining due to COVID-19 modifications, but she elected to forgo her fifth year at Iowa.
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"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa," Clark wrote on Instagram. "I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft."
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Almost as excited are the Fever and basketball fans in Indiana.
The Fever, after finishing 13-27 last season and a combined 18-58 over the last two seasons, won the WNBA Draft Lottery held on Dec. 10. Indiana was one of only four teams eligible for the lottery after missing the playoffs, joining the Los Angeles Sparks, Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm.
It was the second straight season that the Fever won the lottery, using the top pick last year to select Aliyah Boston, who went on to be named Rookie of the Year.
They now have the option of adding a generational talent. Clark is averaging 32.2 points, 8.7 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game this season while leading Iowa to a 25-4 record.
Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming WNBA draft.
What is the WNBA draft order?
Here is the full draft order for the first round of the 2024 WNBA draft.
1. Indiana Fever
2. Los Angeles Sparks
3. Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
4. Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
5. Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
6. Washington Mystics
7. Minnesota Lynx
8. Chicago Sky (from Atlanta, via Los Angeles)
9. Dallas Wings
10. Connecticut Sun
11. New York Liberty
12. Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)
When is the WNBA draft?
The 2024 WNBA Draft will be held at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.
How to watch the WNBA draft
The 2024 WNBA draft will air on ESPN.
When does the WNBA season start?
The 2024 WNBA season will tip off on May 14.
Each team will play 40 regular-season games, with a break from July 21 to Aug. 14 for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
If the Fever select Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, her WNBA regular-season debut will be on the road against the Connecticut Sun on May 14. Clark's first home game in Indiana would be on May 16 against the New York Liberty.
