The WNBA Draft often is a time of joy and jubilation for those fortunate enough to be selected by one of the teams in the league.
But Caitlin Clark admitted the draft was a less-than-stellar experience for her. Clark was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever and as such, she spent very little time among the crowd as it was expected she would be taken with the top pick. However, the star guard revealed that after she was called to the stage to shake hands with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, her time at the venue was cut short.
Speaking on the ‘Fresh Tawk’ podcast, Clark revealed that after she was drafted, she wasn’t able to meet and talk to those closest to her. Additionally, she shared that after her name was called, she was unable to watch any of the draft, which included seeing her former teammate Kate Martin get selected.
- Sheryl Swoopes shares Indiana Fever mistake in Caitlin Clark’s rookie season
- Caitlin Clark impact in new sport felt already with broadcast change
“I was so upset because after I got drafted, I got just drug out immediately and I didn’t get to see any of the draft,” she told Martin, Gabbie Marhsall and Jada Gyamfi, her former Hawkeyes teammates. “I had my phone, I couldn’t really go on it. It made me so upset. And then, I didn’t even get to see Kate get drafted. It made me really upset.”
The 22-year-old added that even though the draft was a time to be happy, she was unable to be with the people she cared about because of how the draft was set up. “I didn’t even take pictures with you guys, my family, like Connor [McCaffery], like no one,” she added.
Despite being upset with how she was unable to spend time with her family after being drafted, Clark didn’t let that affect her during her rookie season. Along with living up to being the No. 1 overall pick, Clark helped lead the Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Caitlin Clark explained what upset her while attending the 2024 WNBA Draft (
Photo by Cora Veltman/Sportico via Getty Images)
Additionally, Clark’s arrival at the WNBA brought about an “economic disruption,” something that Hall of Famer Debbie Antonelli spoke about. During an appearance on ‘The C.L. Brown Show,’ the 60-year-old went deeper into what she meant by her comments.
“No one’s disrupted the economic marketplace and the ecosystem like she has,” Antonelli said. “And that gets everybody paying attention. So, for all of that, that’s so important because we needed that disruption just to jumpstart the next level.”
Antonelli also explained what she experienced after seeing firsthand the impact Clark had on the league’s fans. Mainly, the former basketball star noted how fans from all backgrounds showed their support for the Fever star as she blazed a trail in the WNBA.
“I can just tell you by what I experienced this summer in the WNBA, watching how many No. 22s were walking by — little girls, dads, little boys, college-aged guys; I gotta believe that the game’s going to keep evolving on the grassroots level, which I think we were kind of stalled and dropping,” Antonelli continued.
“Now, I think girls and women are playing more basketball because, now, they’re seeing more opportunities that can be around the game.”
As Clark continues to take time away from the game, she is focusing her efforts elsewhere, like golf. Clark is set to compete in the Annika Driven By Gainbridge, a pro-am tourney.
Leave a Reply