Caitlin Clark headlines tonight’s stacked WNBA Draft

The GIST: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark officially turns pro today, as the comedian college hoops phenom and thirty-five other standout players will be selected to the WNBA during tonight’s sold-out 7 p.m. ET draft. Time to roll out the orange carpet.

How the draft works: There are three rounds with 12 picks each. The first four picks were determined by December’s draft lottery, featuring the teams who missed last season’s playoffs, with the Indiana Fever winning the coveted top spot.

• From there, the remaining eight teams were ordered from worst to best record, though offseason trades shifted things around, leaving three franchises with multiple first-round picks.

The top prospects: The Fever are all but guaranteed to use the first pick on Clark, teaming her up with 2023’s only rookie All-Star and No. 1 pick, Aliyah Boston. Sparks are flying in Indianapolis.

• But this draft class is stacked far beyond Clark. Either South Carolina champion Kamilla Cardoso or Stanford’s defensive machine Cameron Brink are expected to go No. 2 to the rebuilding LA Sparks. One extra tall girlie, coming right up.

• Meanwhile, Tennessee’s standout shooter Rickea Jackson and UConn’s post powerhouse Aaliyah Edwards are highly coveted players, along with LSU Bayou Barbie, Angel Reese.

Zooming out: But with just 144 roster spots available, not every player drafted will actually be playing come May’s season start. Tonight marks an exciting first step, but as Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi said, reality is coming for these college superstars. Pop that corn.