“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. This won’t stop here at the college level, she will also lift up the WNBA. “You are one of the best in history and we value you.”
The words are not from Clark’s teammate or her coach at Iowa. They were spoken by none other than Dawn Staley, great basketball player with three gold medals in the Olympic Games and the South Carolina coach, minutes after beating the “Hawkeyes” in the final of the National Women’s College Basketball Tournament.
Las “Gamecocks” de South Carolina beat Iowa 87-75 in the final played in Cleveland and the victory was no bigger thanks to Caitlin Clark, who scored 30 points and was the best hand of the final.
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What’s next in Caitlin Clark’s career?
This defeat was second consecutive for number 22 in the final of the women’s “March Madness” (2023 against LSU) and marked the end of his career at Iowa.
Although Clark has one more year of eligibility to return for a season with the Hawkeyes, a few weeks ago he announced that he will turn professional and that she will register in the next WNBA Draft.
The selection process of the best US and foreign university players, will take place on Monday, April 15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Which WNBA team could Caitlin Clark play for?
The Indiana Fever, the worst quintet last season and which shares ownership with the NBA Pacers, have the first selection in the WNBA Draft and it is a consensus among all specialists that they will choose Clark.
In his first year with the Fever, The former Iowa player will earn $76,000 a year and that could be raised to 100 thousand dollars with some bonuses. A very low figure compared to what NBA basketball players earn, but it is established according to the salary limit of the collective agreement.
In any case, Caitlin Clark has contracts with brands such as Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, Buick and Goldman Sachs, which bring her income greater than 3 million dollars.
Clark’s presence in the WNBA will surely help lift the league, as the South Carolina coach said. In fact, the Final Four match between Iowa vs. Connecticut was watched by 14.2 million on ESPN, audience that, for example, surpassed any of the five games of last year’s NBA Finals.
LeBron James himself praised Clark’s game and said that “If you don’t think Caitlin Clark’s game is great, you’re just a HATER!!!!! Stay away from those people!! PLEASE”.
If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 7, 2024
In the next Draft there are also expectations for other players who shone in the last college basketball tournament. For example, Brazilian Kamilla Cardoso from South Carolina, and who was chosen as the best player of the tournamentcould be selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the fourth pick.
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