The Chicago Sky, fresh off an 18-22 season in which they were swept in the first round of the playoffs, come to the highly anticipated WNBA draft with high expectations — and high draft picks.
“Caitlin (Clark) is kind of in a world of her own, but I don’t know that we have seen this kind of excitement across the board,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. “Angel Reese has a massive following. Cameron Brink has a large following of people, whether it’s following them on social media or following them throughout the course of their college career.
“We have women coming into the draft this year, who people are very much aware of and eager to see how their game is going to translate at this level.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 WNBA draft.
When is the draft — and how can I watch?
It starts at 6:30 p.m. CDT Monday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will be announcing the picks on ESPN and the ESPN app. The event is open to ticketed fans for the first time since 2016.
The WNBA invited 15 players to the draft, including Iowa’s Clark, LSU’s Reese, Stanford’s Brink, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley. The others are Aliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl of UConn; Charisma Osborne of UCLA; Celeste Taylor and Jacy Sheldon of Ohio State; Alissa Pili of Utah; Marquesha Davis of Mississippi; Dyaisha Fair of Syracuse; and Nyadiew Puoch of Australia.
When do the Chicago Sky pick?
The Sky are in a good position in one of the deepest draft classes in recent history. They own the Nos. 3 and 8 selections in the first round, thanks to a pair of trades, and the No. 13 pick — the first in the second round.
“We are continuing to build assets by securing draft capital for the upcoming years,” Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement after acquiring the No. 8 pick in February. “An additional first-round pick in 2024 will allow us to draft yet another valuable player and add a foundational piece to this roster.”
Here’s the first-round order (full order here).
- Indiana Fever
- Los Angeles Sparks
- Chicago Sky (from Phoenix)
- Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle)
- Dallas Wings (from Chicago)
- Washington Mystics
- Minnesota Lynx
- Chicago Sky (from Atlanta, via Los Angeles)
- Dallas Wings
- Connecticut Sun
- New York Liberty
- Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles)
What have the Sky done in past drafts?
The team has not had a first-round pick the last two years and hasn’t picked in the top five since 2019. They’ve had 18 picks in the top 10 in draft history, including Diamond DeSheilds, who was an integral part of the Sky for her first four seasons in the league, including on the 2021 championship team. She re-signed with the team in the offseason.
- 2021: Shyla Heal (No. 8)
- 2020: Ruthy Hebard (No. 8)
- 2019: Katie Lou Samuelson (No. 4)
- 2018: Diamond DeShields (No. 3) and Gabby Williams (No. 4)
- 2017: Alaina Coates (No. 2) and Tori Jankoska (No. 9)
- 2016: Imani Boyette (No. 10)
- 2015: Cheyenne Parker (No. 5)
- 2014: Markeisha Gatling (No. 10)
- 2013: Elena Delle Donne (No. 2)
- 2011: Courtney Vandersloot (No. 3)
- 2010: Epiphanny Prince (No. 4)
- 2009: Kristi Toliver (No. 3)
- 2008: Sylvia Fowles (No. 2)
- 2007: Armintie Price (No. 3) and Carla Thomas (No. 10)
- 2006: Candice Dupree (No. 4)
Who could be an option at No. 3?
Three frontcourt players should be available in Stanford’s Cameron Brink, Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso.
Brink and Jackson are the most pro-ready bigs in the draft. They bring slightly different skill sets — Brink is a shot-blocking specialist, Jackson can pick-and-pop — but both are ready to make an impact as rookies. The 6-foot-7 Cardoso is a longer-term project, but after she showed clear court vision and scoring aptitude during a standout NCAA Tournament run, selecting Cardoso could be a worthwhile venture for a team such as the Sky with long-term plans.
What about at No. 8?
How about LSU’s Angel Reese? She’s a high-effort, high-volume rebounder with a promising offensive upside. She needs plenty of development, but new coach Teresa Weatherspoon’s temperament and experience could provide the proper guidance during Reese’s early years.
If nothing else, this is the most fun option on the board. By bringing her to Chicago, the Sky could inject some energy into a mostly dormant Midwestern rivalry with the Fever and Caitlin Clark. But there are other options.
When will the Sky play Caitlin Clark, er, the Indiana Fever?
The Sky will get their first look at Clark, the presumptive No. 1 pick, and the Fever on June 1 in Indianapolis. They’ll host the Fever twice on June 16 and June 23 at Wintrust Arena, as well as Aug. 30.
Clark finished her Iowa career with 3,951 points and 1,144 assists and was an All-American in every season. So it’s no surprise that 36 of the Fever’s 40 games will be nationally broadcast — including two against the Sky on CBS and Ion.
Column: With NIL, Caitlin Clark could be ushering in new era of WNBA player endorsements
“The way people are not only showing up, but cheering about the game and invested in the game, they understand the game,” Clark said. “They know what’s going on. They’re passionate about it. To me, that’s the coolest thing.”
The WNBA is coming off its most-watched season in 21 years, averaging 462,000 viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and CBS. The league also had its most-watched Finals in 20 years that featured the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, up 36% from the previous season.
The WNBA, in its 28th season, will have 25 games in the regular season on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, eight on CBS, 12 on CBS Sports Network, 13 on Ion, 40 on NBA TV and 21 on Prime Video. The league will also show 20 games on Meta.
Can you catch me up on the Sky’s offseason moves?
Where to start. Well, there’s a new coach in Teresa Weatherspoon, a new GM in Jeff Pagliocca and a new roster after the departures of Kahleah Copper, Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith.
DeShields, a 2018 Sky draft pick, is back in Chicago. She averaged 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.2 minutes per game in her first four seasons in the league and earned an All-Star selection in 2019 — the best season of her career, in which she averaged 16.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
New to the roster is former Notre Dame guard Lindsay Allen, a six-year veteran. A 2017 second-round draft pick by the New York Liberty, the 5-foot-8 Allen ended her college career with school records for assists (841) and career and consecutive starts (149).
Here’s what else to know before the draft starts.
- Column: Teresa Weatherspoon is here to ‘stir things up’ for the Sky, but the GM will be key to the recipe
- Sky’s trade of Kahleah Copper is a logical rebuild step — but there’s no logic in love
- As Teresa Weatherspoon charts a new future for the Sky, she brings a connection to the WNBA’s beginning
- The championship era is over for the Sky. How can Teresa Weatherspoon and the new ownership group build a new one?
- Column: The popularity of women’s basketball is undeniable. It’s not an interest issue — it’s access.
- ‘It’s Clarkonomics.’ WNBA teams see increase in ticket sales after Caitlin Clark announces draft plans.
Associated Press contributed.
