College star selected first in draft by Indiana Fever
NEW YORK: Iowa sharpshooter Caitlin Clark ascended to the professional ranks yesterday, going first overall to the Indiana Fever in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Draft after a recordbreaking collegiate career.
The pick came as little surprise after the 22yearold toppled the alltime NCAA scoring record and sent TV ratings soaring during the March Madness tournament in her final college season.
‘‘I’m just very lucky to be in this moment and all these opportunities and these things are once in a lifetime,’’ Clark said.
Fans swarmed outside the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a soldout crowd cheered wildly as Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Clark’s selection.
Stanford’s fearsome shotblocker Cameron Brink went second to the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Chicago Sky took South Carolina’s Brazilian phenom Kamilla Cardoso third.
More than 18 million tuned in to watch South Carolina thwart Iowa in the collegiate finale last week.
Clark will be one of the biggest attractions in the upcoming WNBA season, and the ticket resale market has surged in anticipation of her arrival.
‘‘We are witnessing a transformational moment in sports that we may not experience for generations,’’ Engelbert told reporters ahead of the draft. ‘
Clark (1.83m) joins last year’s first overall draft pick and unanimous Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston, at an ailing Indiana Fever franchise that has not enjoyed a winning season since 2015.
‘‘I am confident she will have an immediate impact on our team and the league,’’ Fever general manager Lin Dunn said in a statement.
‘‘Any time you can add two consecutive No 1 draft selections, it creates enormous interest and visibility.’’
The WNBA regular season begins on May 14. — Reuters