WNBA draft: Sparks have big options with No. 2 and No. 4 picks

This is the night the WNBA has been waiting for, Monday night.

Why this mattersFew clubs stand to gain as much as the Indiana Fever from the WNBA draft, which is arguably the most anticipated event in the league’s 28-year existence.

Main news: The Fever, with the first overall pick, are predicted to select Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, so introducing the “Caitlin Clark effect” to Indianapolis.

Our home club has already benefited from increased national attention as a result of the excitement around Clark’s signing with 2023 WNBA rookie of the year Aliyah Boston, since 36 of their 40 games will be aired nationally, up from 22 the previous season.
Additionally, Clark is reportedly making WNBA and Fever ticket sales “spike,” according to ESPN.

Status of play: With a plethora of other elite prospects, like Cameron Brink of Stanford and Angel Reese of LSU, women’s basketball is in its prime when the draft takes place.

In terms of viewership, the NCAA title game drew an astounding 18.7 million viewers, setting a record for women’s college basketball and a five-year high for any sports telecast.

In its own right, the 2023 WNBA season made a record by becoming the most watched in 21 years.
Additionally, the WNBA recorded a 21% rise in viewership and a 16% increase in attendance year over year.

Zoom in: The league might be able to pay players more and retain them if it can keep up its pace and take advantage of the star power of its new class.

• In contrast to the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, who might earn almost $10.5 million, Clark could only make $76,535 in her debut season.
  In the wake of the historic March Madness interest, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert says she intends to “at least double” the value of the league’s domestic television rights.

  Reality check: According to Tim Baysinger of Axios, women’s college basketball has frequently provided stars with a larger platform than the WNBA.

  Furthermore, it’s uncertain how collegiate standouts like Clark and Reese will fare in the professional ranks.

  How to watch: There are a few ways to watch the draft, which gets underway at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York at 7:30 p.m.

• ESPN will broadcast the draft or you can stream it on ESPN+ or fuboTV.
• Or, you can watch it on the scoreboard at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the Indiana Fever’s watch party.

The party starts at 5:30pm on Bicentennial Unity Plaza and the doors to Gainbridge open an hour later.

• The pre-show starts at 7pm.

Here is the draft order for the first round:

1. Indiana Fever

2. Los Angeles Sparks

3. Chicago Sky

4. Los Angeles Sparks (via Seattle)

5. Dallas Wings (via Chicago)

6. Washington Mystics

7. Minnesota Lynx

8. Chicago Sky (via Atlanta)

9. Dallas Wings

10. Connecticut Sun

11. New York Liberty

12. Atlanta Dream (via Las Vegas)

The bottom line: The stage is set for this season to be a slam dunk for the Fever, and bring a new generation of fans to the WNBA — if the league and our home team can capitalize on the momentum.