Where college’s top stars are playing next
1. Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark, G, Iowa. The prolific shooting guard from Iowa set the NCAA all-time scoring mark and ushered in a newfound popularity for women’s basketball that reaped records for attendance and television viewership. Clark joins a Fever team with 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. The Fever finished 13-27 last season and missed the postseason in each of the past seven seasons. The 22-yearold native of West Des Moines, Iowa, electrified crowds wherever she played this season because of her shooting range, regularly hitting logo 3-pointers with ease, and her play-making ability, routinely setting up teammates for easy scores. But an inside-outside combination of Clark and Boston could propel Indiana back to the playoffs.
2. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink, F. Stanford. The 6-4 forward, who won the 2021 national championship with the Cardinal, was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after dominating on both ends of the court all season. Besides her prowess on the hardwood, Brink, known for her physical play and signature blond braids, has a solid NIL portfolio and family ties to NBA star Steph Curry. Cameron Brink averaged 17.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game this season with Stanford. Her boards average ranks third in the country. She also led the nation with 3.74 blocks per outing.
3. Chicago Sky: Kamilla Cardoso, C, South Carolina. The 6-7 center from Brazil led South Carolina to the 2024 NCAA championship. Cardoso’s stock is higher after a strong run in the NCAA Tournament, including 15 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks in the national championship game. She earned tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after South Carolina’s run to the title. She is a force on the defensive end and is improving on offense as a post scorer. Cardoso will be coached in Chicago by another Hall of Fame point guard in Teresa Weatherspoon after Dawn Staley coached her in South Carolina.
4. Los Angeles: Rickea Jackson, F, Tennessee. The 6-2 forward’s size will help her make an immediate impact for the Sparks, a team looking to get back to the top of the league (and back to the playoffs). Per ESPN, Jackson was one of only five SEC players to average 20 points and five rebounds per game over
multiple seasons. Her versatility will be huge as she moves on to the pros, and her explosive first step will help her get to the rim pretty much anytime she wants. She has a thin frame but is stronger than she looks, which allows her to finish through contact.
5. Dallas Wings: Jacy Sheldon, G, Ohio State.
Sheldon is one of the top guards in this draft not named Caitlin Clark. She’s a plus defender and 3-point shooter who could help on both ends immediately. She averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game in her final season with the Buckeyes.
6. Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards, F, UConn.
The 6-3 Edwards helped lead UConn back to the Final Four this past season. Edwards, a two-time All-American, could have an immediate impact. She is a very good defender and improving as a post scorer and jump shooter. She averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1 block per game in the 2023-24 season.
7. Chicago: Angel Reese, F/C, LSU.
Reese, who led the Lady Tigers to last year’s NCAA title and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, was a first-team All-American this season, averaging 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game. She averaged 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds for the Tigers over her last two seasons and would likely continue as a walking double-double in the WNBA.
8. Minnesota Lynx: Alissa F, Utah. Pili is wildly efficient. Though she’s undersized at 6-foot-2, she’s extremely strong and crafty around the bucket, able to score on players who are (considerably) bigger than her. Need proof of just how good she is? She scored 37 points (37!) on South Carolina – yes that’s the national champion Gamecocks, who were the top defensive team in the country this season.
9. Dallas: Carla Leite, G, France. The 5-9 Leite will join Jacy Sheldon with the Wings.
10. Connecticut Sun: Leila Lacan, G, France. The 5-foot-11 play-making combo guard is solid on defense.
11. New York Liberty: Marquesha Davis, G, Ole Miss. The 6-0 McGegee, Arkansas, native averaged 14 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior. She also shot 44.7% from the floor and 23.9% from 3.
12. Atlanta Dream: Nyadiew Puoch, F, Australia. Another top international player in this draft, the 6-foot-3 forward is a very good rim protector and is improving her jumper and play making on the offensive end.
13. Chicago: Brynna Maxwell, Gonzaga: Mazwell averaged 12.9 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs while shooting 43.7% from the field.
14. Seattle Storm: Nika Mühl, G, UConn: Mühl improved her stock by holding strong against Clark in the Final Four, showcasing her defensive prowess. She is a good jump shooter as well and led a talented UConn offense in assists per game (6.5).
15: Indiana Celeste Taylor, G, Ohio State. Taylor averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game over 32 contests this season.
16. Las Vegas: Dyaisha Fair, G, Syracuse. Fair became the third all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball history after surpassing Kelsey Mitchell (3,402, Ohio State) and Jackie Stiles (3,393, Mississippi State) in late March. She averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds,
Pili, G,
3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game in the regular season this year. Fair has knocked down 107 3-pointers this season, trailing only Clark (173), and was named to the 2024 All-ACC first team.
17. New York: Esmery Martinez, G, Arizona.
Martinez averaged 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds and shot 46.4% from the field for the Wildcats.
18. Las Vegas: Kate Martin, G, Iowa.
Martin averaged 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field while teaming with Clark on the Hawkeyes.
19. Connecticut: Taiyanna Jackson, C, Kansas.
Jackson averaged 12.4 points and 10.4 rebounds, while shooting 62% from the field, for the Jayhawks.
20. Atlanta: Isobel Borlase, G, Australia.
Borlase plays for the Adelaide Lightning in Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League
21. Washington: Kaylynne Truong, G, Gonzaga.
Truong averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs.
22. Connecticut: Helena Pueyo, G, Arizona.
The Spanish native averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals for the Wildcats in 2023-24. Jessika
Carter averaged 11.5 points and 7.4 rebounds and shot 54.2% from the field for the Bulldogs. She’s a reliable shot blocker on defense and a solid scorer on offense. She’d provide depth immediately.
24. Las Vegas: Elizabeth Kitley, C, Virginia Tech. Kitley did not play in the NCAA Tournament after suffering an ACL tear in Virginia Tech’s regular-season finale. Kitley, a 6-6 grad student from Summerfield, North Carolina, led Virginia Tech to the program’s first Final Four last season. She was again having an All-America campaign in 2023-24 averaging 22.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks before her injury.
25. Phoenix: Charisma Osborne, G, UCLA
26. Seattle: Mackenzie Holmes, F, Indiana
27. Indiana: Leilani Correa, G, Florida
28. Los Angeles: Mackenzie Forbes, F, Southern Cal
29. Phoenix Mercury, G, Nebraska
30. Washington: Nastja Claessens, G, Belgium 31. Minnesota: Kiki Jefferson, G, Louisville 32. Atlanta: Matilde Villa, G, Italy
33. Dallas: Ashley Owusu, G, Penn State
34. Connecticut: Abbey Hsu, G, Columbia
35. New York: Kaitlyn Davis, F, Southern Cal 36. Las Vegas: Angel Jackson, C, Jackson State
Contributing: Scooby Axson, Victoria Hernandez, Ayrton Ostly, Lindsay Schnell, Steve Gardner, Rachel G. Bowers, Cydney Henderson, Eddie Timanus