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Fever win second straight No. 1 pick in WNBA Draft Lottery: What it means for Caitlin Clark – The Athletic

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9 months ago

December 16, 2023

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The Indiana Fever will have first dibs on selecting a player out of what could be one of the best classes ever when the 2024 WNBA Draft goes down in April. Indiana, which had the best odds, won the top pick in the draft lottery Sunday for the second straight year.
Full 2024 WNBA Draft Lottery results:
The @IndianaFever secure back-to-back No.1 Draft picks
WNBA Draft Lottery | @StateFarm https://t.co/1hwKaw8UZ8 pic.twitter.com/8qAs5h9PXG
— WNBA (@WNBA) December 10, 2023

The Fever had 44.2 percent odds to land the top pick. The Mercury (27.6 percent), Sparks (17.8 percent) and Storm (10.4 percent) followed in the odds. Indiana selected former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston at No. 1 last year.
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Sunday’s event might come to be known as the Caitlin Clark Lottery, as the Iowa star guard could decide to turn pro after this season. But Clark, presumed to be the No. 1 pick if she declares, could also decide to return to college next year and wait to enter the WNBA until the 2025 season. Other names in the mix for No. 1 include UConn’s Paige Bueckers, Stanford’s Cameron Brink and LSU’s Angel Reese, all of whom could also opt to use additional years of collegiate eligibility.
The 2024 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 15.
They didn’t jump up to No. 1, but the Sparks were positively thrilled to claim the second pick in the 2024 Draft. CAO and GM Karen Bryant and assistant GM Eli Horowitz were practically running in circles at the team’s draft party when the broadcast showed Phoenix had landed at No. 3. Bryant told the supporters in attendance, “We’re overdue for a break” after what the franchise has been through over the past three seasons.
The moment the Los Angeles Sparks knew they were going to improve upon having the No. 3 odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. @LASparks ended up with the No. 2 pick. pic.twitter.com/ZA8cglfsHi
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 10, 2023

What the Sparks need more than anything is a dynamic perimeter creator to pair with Nneka Ogwumike, and though that likely won’t be Clark, L.A. is now in a position to select Bueckers, should the UConn guard choose to turn pro. It’s worth noting that Bueckers could play two additional seasons in Connecticut with the COVID-19 bonus year and her redshirt year since she missed the 2022-23 season with injury. The Sparks could also decide to double down on their front court with Brink, a versatile big who can play next to Ogwumike and anchor the center position for years to come.
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Beyond Bueckers and Brink, Phoenix and Seattle will have the chance to select from a pool of bigs including Rickea Jackson (though she could also slot in at the wing), Aaliyah Edwards, Kamilla Cardoso and Alissa Pili. — Sabreena Merchant, women’s basketball staff writer
In early October, Clark said she wasn’t ready to decide if she would return for a fifth season with the Hawkeyes in 2024-25 or head to the WNBA. But the Iowa star said she was still going to “treat this year like this is my last year. “I’m going to go based off of my gut,” she added.
She won’t have to make an official decision until Iowa’s season concludes. However, the Fever likely represents an appealing franchise to join. She’d pair with Boston, who was last year’s unanimous Rookie of the Year, and do so while remaining in the midwest, and relatively close to her family. Indiana hasn’t won a WNBA championship since 2012, but after earning consecutive No. 1 picks, the franchise is set up well for what’s to come. — Ben Pickman, women’s basketball staff writer
Last season, the Fever were one of the league’s most improved franchises, seeing their win total increase by eight games. Under first-year coach Christie Sides, and with Boston leading the way, they jumped from a WNBA-worst offense to No. 5 in offensive rating. They remained in the playoff hunt in the season’s stretch run. Clark would theoretically slot into a backcourt that already features 2023 WNBA All-Star Kelsey Mitchell and veteran guard Erica Wheeler. Clark and Boston are set up to be a lethal pick-and-roll partner with Boston for years to come, if Clark does declare, and could provide Indiana with one of the league’s top duos as soon as next season. — Pickman
Unlike the NBA, WNBA lottery odds are based on the cumulative record of the two most recent regular seasons. Despite winning eight more games in 2023 than they did in 2022, the Fever have a combined 18-58 record over that span and were guaranteed a top-three pick.
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The Mercury amassed a 24-52 record over the past two seasons, while the Sparks (30-46) and Storm (33-43) had the third- and fourth-worst records over that period. In the drawing itself, 14 balls numbered 1-14 were placed in a lottery machine and mixed. Four balls were drawn to determine a four-digit combination, with the first four-digit number determining the No. 1 pick. The process was then repeated for the second selection.
The teams with the worst record over the two-year period whose combinations did not come up for the top pick or the second pick were awarded the third and fourth choices.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)