Waitlin Clark admitted she was a little nervous before being selected as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, although it came as no surprise.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it took a lot of work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to take it in,” Clark said.
The former Iowa star became a household name among basketball fans during his record-setting college career, and will now look to help revive the Indiana franchise along with last season’s No. 1 pick, Aliyah Boston.
“The organization has one of the best post players in the world. My point guard eyes light up at that,” she said.
The fever that gripped Clark had been a foregone conclusion since she announced on Feb. 29 that she would turn pro. Nearly 17,000 tickets were purchased to watch the draft at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the NBA’s Fever and Indiana Pacers.
Clark helped bring millions of fans to women’s soccer with her signature midcourt logo kicks and passing ability. The NCAA’s highest score ever was a big reason why a record 18.9 million viewers watched the national championship game, which Iowa lost to undefeated South Carolina. The Hawkeyes were also national runner-up in the LSU a year earlier.
See more information: Caitlin Clark’s legacy remains unblemished after final NCAA game
Clark, who wore a white Prada jacket and skirt, hugged her parents and siblings and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder after she was drafted.
The draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of 1,000 fans, who bought all the tickets within 15 minutes of going on sale a few months ago.
Los Angeles selected Stanford’s Cameron Brink second. She will stay in California and give the Sparks a two-way player.
“When they called my name, a huge wave of emotions hit me,” Brink said. “I saw my mom crying and my dad and I realized.”
A prolific scorer, Brink was also the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. The Sparks needed to replace franchise player Nneka Ogwumike, who left for Seattle as a free agent. Brink’s godmother, Sonya Curry, is the mother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
“I FaceTimed Steph five minutes before the show started and he said to have fun with it,” Brink said. “He can share a lot of great advice since he’s been through this. Make things like this fun, as they can be stressful.
Chicago took the third pick and selected South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso before the Sparks came back into the game and selected Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson.
Cardoso had a busy week, helping the Gamecocks win the national championship and complete an undefeated season. She attended the team’s championship parade on Sunday before traveling to New York.
Dallas took Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon with the fifth pick. Washington drafted UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards at sixth before Chicago took LSU’s Angel Reese at seventh, pairing her with Cardoso.
“She’s a great player and I’m a great player. Nobody’s going to get any rebounds on us,” the 6-foot-5 Cardoso said, laughing.
Minnesota, which traded picks with Chicago, drafted Utah’s Alissa Pili eighth.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
