Rhea Ripley vacated the WWE Women’s World Championship on Monday after she suffered a shoulder injury that will force her out of competition for months.

Several reports on Monday afternoon said Ripley suffered her injury during a backstage segment during ‘Monday Night Raw’ after WrestleMania 40. In the segment, Liv Morgan, continuing her pursuit of taking down Ripley, attacked her with a chair and threw her into the wall of the hallway. It is believed Ripley suffered the injury when her shoulder hit the wall.

On the latest episode of ‘Monday Night Raw’ on April 15, Ripley kicked off the show and appeared in a sling as she addressed the attack by revealing her injury. Ripley said she was told she would be out of action ‘for quite a few months’ as she placed her title on the mat of the ring. She vowed that she would be coming back for the title when she returns.

‘When I come back, I’m coming back for blood,’ Ripley said.

Ripley’s relinquishment of the Women’s World Championship ends her reign at 380 days, which just passed Bayley for the longest reign of the title in WWE history. Bayley’s reign was 379 days.

‘Mami’ of The Judgment Day won the title − then known as the Smackdown Women’s Championship − at WrestleMania 39 when she defeated Charlotte Flair on April 1, 2023. When Ripley moved to ‘Raw’ after the 2023 WWE Draft, the title was rebranded as the Women’s World Championship with a new design.

The timetable for Ripley’s return to action is unknown.

Adam Silver’s vision of the NBA is unfolding – a league where more and more teams have the ability to compete for a championship.

“You can never predict what’s going to happen with the competition, but what we set out to do, both with our collective bargaining system and frankly our revenue sharing system, was to give all 30 teams an opportunity to compete, and if well managed, to have an ability to make a profit, as well,” the commissioner said after last week’s owners meetings.

There hasn’t been a repeat champion since Golden State in 2017 and 2018, and starting with the 2019 NBA Finals, five different teams have won a title, and eight different teams have reached the Finals.

Mid- and small-market teams Oklahoma City, Denver and Minnesota finished 1-2-3 in the Western Conference, separated by a game. Fourth through 10th place in the West were separated by five games, including two games between fourth and seventh place.

Boston ran away with the Eastern Conference, but after that, second through eighth places were not decided until the final day of the season.

And the play-in game tournament has produced success stories – with Miami going from play-in game to NBA Finals and the Los Angeles Lakers going from play-in game to the Western Conference finals last season.

It’s a deep and competitive NBA.

Here’s what I’m watching in the play-in game tournament followed by play-in game predictions:

Philadelphia 76ers

Before Joel Embiid’s injury, the 76ers were in the mix for the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. They fell in the standings without him. However, they won eighth consecutive games to finish the season, Embiid is back in the lineup and the Sixers are a dangerous team with the 2022-23 MVP, All-Star Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield and coach Nick Nurse, who led Toronto to the title in 2019.

If the Sixers emerge from the play-in game tournament, they won’t be an easy out. And if they get the seventh seed, which is a strong possibility (they just have to beat Miami at home Wednesday), that’s not the kind of matchup the second-seeded New York Knicks want in the first round. That’s not easing into the playoffs as the heavy favorite.

A seventh or eighth seed with Embiid and that roster is not a traditional 7-8 seed.

Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James doesn’t care where he is in the playoffs or if his team has home-court advantage. He just wants to make the playoffs – and from there, he’s confident his team can win games.

The Lakers finished 12 games above .500 and just four games behind the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers. Any team with James and Anthony Davis presents problems for an opponent.

The Lakers aren’t in a position to be picky about their opponent if they get out of the play-in game tournament, but they are 3-1 against Oklahoma City this season and have lost eight consecutive games to Denver since last season.

The Lakers will take who they can get, but they favor one matchup over the other.

Star power featured in play-in tournament

These players are or were All-Star and/or All-NBA selections:

James, Davis, Golden State’s Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green; New Orleans’ Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram; Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis; Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey’; Miami’s Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo; Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan; and Atlanta’s Trae Young.

Three of the coaches in the play-in tournament have led teams to NBA titles: Nurse, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Golden State’s Steve Kerr. Sacramento’s Mike Brown and Los Angeles Lakers’ Darvin Ham were assistants on titles teams, and Chicago’s Billy Donovan won back-to-back NCAA men’s basketball championships at Florida.

Play-in game tournament schedule, TV, predictions:

TUESDAY

No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers at No. 7 New Orleans, TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET (winner is the No. 7 seed against No. 2 Denver in a West first-round series)

Prediction: Lakers

No. 10 Golden State at No. 9 Sacramento, TNT, 10 p.m. ET

Prediction: Warriors

WEDNESDAY

No. 8 Miami at No. 7 Philadelphia, ESPN, 7 p.m. ET (winner is the No. 7 seed against No. 2 New York in an East first-round series)

Prediction: Sixers

No. 10 Atlanta at No. 9 Chicago, ESPN, 9:30 p.m. ET

Prediction: Bulls

FRIDAY

Loser of Miami-Philadelphia vs. winner of Atlanta-Chicago, ESPN, Time TBD (winner is the No. 8 seed against No. 1 Boston in an East first-round series)

Prediction: Heat

Loser of Lakers-Pelicans vs. winner of Golden-State Sacramento, TNT, Time TBD (winner is the No. 8 seed against No. 1 Oklahoma City in a West first-round series)

Prediction: Pelicans

With women’s basketball on the rise as the 2024 WNBA Draft arrives, one of the most dominant athletes in all of sports said she is interested in becoming an owner of a professional women’s basketball team.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, 23-time grand slam tennis champion Serena Williams said she is interested in becoming a WNBA owner. Because of the excitement and interest surrounding women’s sports, Williams said ‘it’s an overly safe bet’ for her to invest.

“I absolutely would be (interested). With the right market, I would definitely be super-interested in that,” she said.

The tennis icon is no stranger to being part of sports ownership as she was one of the prime investors in Angel City FC in the NWSL when it was founded in 2020, and she’s part-owner of the Los Angeles Golf Club team in the Tomorrow Golf League (TGL), led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Williams also acknowledged the spotlight women’s basketball is getting and how it’s brought attention to other women’s sports, something she said should have already been happening.

‘Women’s sport is having a moment that it should have always had,’ Williams told CNN. ‘I feel like tennis has had its moment and it’s international, and it’s huge and it’s always going to be there. Now it’s time to lift up other sports; women’s soccer, women’s basketball, there’s so many other sports that women do so great, let’s put it on that platform that tennis is on.’

Caitlin Clark, the prolific shooting guard from Iowa who set the NCAA all-time scoring mark and ushered in a newfound popularity for women’s basketball that reaped records for attendance and television viewership, was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever on Monday night.

The 22-year-old native of West Des Moines, Iowa, electrified crowds wherever she played this season because of her shooting range, regularly hitting logo 3-pointers with ease, and her playmaking ability, routinely setting up teammates for easy scores.

Clark joins a Fever team with 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. The Fever finished 13-27 last season and missed the postseason in each of the past seven seasons. But an inside-outside combination of Clark and Boston, who was the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, could propel Indiana back to the playoffs once again.

“My point guard eyes light up at that,’ Clark said after the Fever officially selected her Monday night. “I’m just gonna feed Aliyah the ball every game … That’s what I’m gonna do. I can’t wait to be her teammate again.”

College basketball’s all-time leading scorer is not the only big-named player who walked the orange carpet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. LSU’s Angel Reese, the ‘Bayou Barbie’ who created a rivalry with Clark in last year’s title game, and Stanford’s Cameron Brink, the Pac-12 Player of the Year, are going pro as well. Boston’s former teammate Kamilla Cardoso, who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding player after beating Clark in the national championship, was also on the draft board. 

Indiana Fever select Caitlin Clark with No. 1 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark, the prolific shooting guard from Iowa who set the NCAA all-time scoring mark and ushered in a newfound popularity for women’s basketball that reaped records for attendance and television viewership, was selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever on Monday night.

Clark joins a Fever team with 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston. The Fever finished 13-27 last season and missed the postseason in each of the past seven seasons. Now, the Fever already are seeing action at sportsbooks as being one of the few betting favorites to win the championship.

The 22-year-old native of West Des Moines, Iowa, electrified crowds wherever she played this season because of her shooting range, regularly hitting logo 3-pointers with ease, and her playmaking ability, routinely setting up teammates for easy scores.

Clark led the Hawkeyes to a second consecutive national championship game appearance, where they lost to South Carolina. While doing so, she led the nation in eight offensive categories, including scoring 31.6 points per game, 3-point makes and 3-point attempts. She also ranked second in assists per game while averaging 7.4 rebounds. She finished her career with 3,951 points, and a record 548 3-point makes.

She leaves Iowa with an impressive individual trophy haul, winning the AP Player of the Year award, Wooden Award, and Naismith Award twice each.

The anticipation of Clark coming into the league is virtually unmatched, with teams changing venues for Fever games and selling out tickets in anticipation of her playing in their cities. The Connecticut Sun, which open their season against the Fever at home, sold nearly 800 tickets within 24 hours of the schedule being released. The Las Vegas Aces, the two-time defending champions, moved their July 2 home game against Indiana from the 12,000-seat Michelob Ultra Arena to T-Mobile Arena, which has a capacity of 20,000.

Even the WNBA Draft, which was open to fans for the first time in eight years, sold out its 1,000 ticket allotment at the Brooklyn Academy of Music within 15 minutes of going on sale. — Scooby Axson

Caitlin Clark shares her thoughts after being drafted No. 1 overall

Caitlin Clark spoke at length after be selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 overall pick in Monday night’s draft. Read what college basketball’s all-time leading scorer said after she was drafted in this Q&A here.

Los Angeles Sparks select Cameron Brink with No. 2 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Cameron Brink is headed to Los Angeles as the newest addition to the Sparks. Brink, a 6-4 forward from Stanford, was selected as the No. 2 pick in Monday night’s draft.

Brink, who won the 2021 national championship with the Cardinal, was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after dominating on both ends of the court all season. Besides her prowess on the hardwood, Brink, known for her physical play and signature blond braids, has a solid NIL portfolio and family ties to NBA star Stephen Curry. Cameron Brink averaged 17.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game this season with Stanford. Her boards average ranks third in the country. She also led the nation with 3.74 blocks per outing. — Victoria Hernandez

Chicago Sky select Kamilla Cardoso with No. 3 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Kamilla Cardoso, a 6-7 center from Brazil who led South Carolina to the 2024 NCAA championship, was taken by the Chicago Sky with the No. 3 pick in Monday’s draft.

Cardoso’s stock is higher after a strong run in the NCAA Tournament, including 15 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks in the national championship game. She earned tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after South Carolina’s run to another title. She’s a force on the defensive end and is improving on offense as a post scorer.

Cardoso will be coached in Chicago by another Hall of Fame point guard in Teresa Weatherspoon after Dawn Staley coached her in South Carolina.

‘It means the most to me and that I’m in good hands,’ Cardoso said. — Ayrton Ostly

Los Angeles Sparks select Rickea Jackson with No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft

Rickea Jackson, a 6-2 forward who starred at Tennessee, joined No. 2 pick Cameron Brink in Los Angeles when she was selected by the Sparks with the No. 4 pick.

Her size will help her make an immediate impact for the Sparks, a team looking to get back to the top of the league (and back to the playoffs). Per ESPN, Jackson was one of only five SEC players to average 20 points and five rebounds per game over multiple seasons. Her versatility will be huge as she moves on to the pros, and her explosive first step will help her get to the rim pretty much anytime she wants. She has a thin frame but is stronger than she looks, which allows her to finish through contact. I expect both her and Brink to play a ton of minutes (though it’s worth pointing out that Brink will have to learn how to play without fouling).

“I’m honored, honestly,’ Jackson said after being drafted. ‘I feel like what Cam and I bring is foundational. I feel like we’re willing to put in the work, we’re willing to do whatever as rookies.” — Lindsay Schnell

Dallas Wings select Jacy Sheldon with No. 5 pick in the WNBA draft

Jacy Sheldon, a 5-10 All American guard out of Ohio State, is heading to Dallas after the Wings drafted her with the No. 5 pick in Monday’s draft.

Sheldon is one of the top guards in this draft not named Caitlin Clark. She’s a plus defender and three-point shooter that could help on both ends immediately. She averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game in her final season with the Buckeyes. — Ayrton Ostly

Washington Mystics select Aaliyah Edwards with No. 6 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft

Aaliyah Edwards, a 6-3 forward who helped lead UConn back to the Final Four this season, was taken by the Washington Mystics with the No. 6 pick.

Edwards, a two-time All American, could have an immediate impact. She’s a very good defender and improving as a post scorer and jump shooter. She averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1 block per game in the 2023-24 season. — Ayrton Ostly

Chicago Sky select Angel Reese with No. 7 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Angel Reese is headed from the Bayou to the Windy City after being drafted by the Chicago Sky with the No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft. Reese will team with Kamilla Cardoso, whom the Sky selected with the No. 3 overall pick.

‘She’s a great player and I’m a great player,’ Cardoso said after learning the news. ‘Nobody’s gonna get more rebounds than us.’

Reese, who led the Lady Tigers to last year’s NCAA title and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, was a first-team All-American this season, averaging 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game. She averaged 20.9 points and 14.4 rebounds in for the Tigers over her last two seasons and would likely continue as a walking double-double in the WNBA.

‘My first time playing Kamilla was on one of the biggest stages of my life, which was when she played for Hamilton Heights and I played for St. Frances in high school and we battled,’ Reese said after she was drafted. ‘Now, being able to be teammates is gonna be amazing.

‘I actually talked to her earlier, was congratulating her. I know she just came off an amazing run, an amazing college career. I’m looking forward to playing with her in practice and in games, just bouncing off of each other, so I’m excited for this. — Steve Gardner and Ayrton Ostly

Minnesota Lynx select Alissa Pili with No. 8 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft

Alissa Pili will join the Minnesota Lynx after being taken with the No. 8 pick in Monday’s draft.

Rebecca Lobo said it best: Alissa Pili is an intriguing, unique talent. The No. 8 pick who will head to Minnesota, Pili is wildly efficient. Though she’s undersized at 6-foot-2, she’s extremely strong and crafty around the bucket, able to score on players who are (considerably) bigger than her. Need proof of just how good she is? She scored 37 points (37!) on South Carolina — yes that’s the national champion Gamecocks, who were the top defensive team in the country this season. — Lindsay Schnell

Dallas Wings select Carla Leite with No. 9 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Carla Leite, a 5-9 guard from France, was taken by the Dallas Wings with the No. 9 pick in Monday’s draft. She will join Jacy Sheldon, who the Wings took with the No. 5 pick.

Connecticut Sun select Leila Lacan with No. 10 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Leila Lacan, a 5-11 guard from France, was taken by the Connecticut Sun with the No. 10 pick in Monday’s draft. Lacan was the second consecutive French player taken in the first round after the Dallas Wings took Carla Leite at No. 9.

New York Liberty select Marquesha Davis with No. 11 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Marquesha Davis, a 6-0 guard who played at Ole Miss, will make Brooklyn her new home after the New York Liberty selected her with the No. 11 pick in Monday’s draft.

The McGegee, Arkansas, native averaged 14 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior. She also shot 44.7% from the floor and 23.9% from 3. — Rachel G. Bowers

Atlanta Dream select Nyadiew Puoch with No. 12 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Australian players have had a lot of success in the WNBA over the years, and now a new player is headed to the league.

Nyadiew Pouch was taken by the Atlanta Dream with the final pick of the first round. Another top international player in this draft, the 6-foot-3 forward is a very good rim protector and is improving her jumper and playmaking on the offensive end. — Ayrton Ostly

Angel Reese looking forward to playing in Chicago for T-Spoon

The Chicago Sky drafted the LSU star with No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft. Reese says she lives by the motto, “Every day the sun don’t shine, that’s why I love tomorrow.’

Before the draft, Reese said it didn’t matter to her where she got drafted, what was more important was going into the right fit and a chance to showcase her skills, which included 61 double-doubles in the last two seasons.

The Sky is coached by Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon, who was coached by LSU coach Kim Mulkey when she was an assistant at Louisiana Tech.

‘Knowing the conversations were so good, she felt like a mother to me. Being able to be a black woman as a head coach,’ Reese said. ‘I just knew everything they were bringing to the table. I’m super excited for this move and looking forward to getting to Chicago.’ — Scooby Axson

Chicago Sky select Brynna Maxwell with the No. 13 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Gonzaga

Mazwell averaged 12.9 points and 3.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs while shooting 43.7% from the field.

Seattle Storm select Nika Mühl with No. 14 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, UConn

Mühl improved her stock by holding strong against Clark in the Final Four, showcasing her defensive prowess. She’s a good jump shooter as well and led a talented UConn offense in assists per game (6.5). — Ayrton Ostly

Indiana Fever select Celeste Taylor with No. 15 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Ohio State

Taylor averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game over 32 contests this season. — Rachel G. Bowers

Las Vegas Aces select Dyaisha Fair with No. 16 pick in WNBA draft

Guard, Syracuse

Fair became the third all-time leading scorer in women’s college basketball history after surpassing Kelsey Mitchell (3,402, Ohio State) and Jackie Stiles (3,393, Mississippi State) in late March. She averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game in the regular season this year. Fair has knocked down 107 3-pointers this season, trailing only Clark (173), and was named to the 2024 All-ACC First Team. — Cydney Henderson

New York Liberty select Esmery Martinez with No. 17 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Arizona

Martinez averaged 10.4 point and 8.3 rebounds and shot 46.4% from the field for the Wildcats.

Las Vegas Aces select Kate Martin with No. 18 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Iowa

Martin averaged 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and three assists while shooting 46.4% from the field while teaming with Caitlin Clark on the Hawkeyes.

Connecticut Sun select Taiyanna Jackson with No. 19 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Center, Kansas

Jackson averaged 12.4 points and 10. 4 rebounds, while shooting 62% from the field for the Jayhawks

Atlanta Dream select Isobel Borlase with No. 20 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Australia

Borlase plays for the Adelaide Lightning in Australia’s Women’s National Basketball League

Washington Mystics select Kaylynne Truong with No. 21 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Gonzaga

Truong averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Connecticut Sun select Helena Pueyo with No. 22 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Arizona

The Spanish native averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals for the Wildcats in 2023-24.

New York Liberty select Jessika Carter with No. 23 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Center, Mississippi State

Carter averaged 11.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and shot 54.2% from the field for the Bulldogs. She’s a reliable shot blocker on defense and a solid scorer on offense. She’d provide depth immediately. — Ayrton Ostly

Las Vegas Aces select Elizabeth Kitley with No. 24 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Center, Virginia Tech

Kitley did not play in the NCAA Tournament after suffering an ACL tear in Virginia Tech’s regular-season finale. Kitley, a 6-6 grad student from Summerfield, North Carolina, led Virginia Tech to the program’s first Final Four last season. She was again having an All-America campaign in 2023-24 averaging 22.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks before her injury. — Eddie Timanus

Phoenix Mercury select Charisma Osborne with No. 25 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, UCLA

Seattle Storm select Mackenzie Holmes with No. 26 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Forward, Indiana

Indiana Fever select Leilani Correa with No. 27 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Florida

Los Angeles Sparks select Mackenzie Forbes with No. 28 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Forward, Southern California

Phoenix Mercury select Jaz Shelley with No. 29 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Nebraska

Washington Mystics select Nastja Claessens with No. 30 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Belgium

Minnesota Lynx select Kiki Jefferson with No. 31 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Louisville

Atlanta Dream select Matilde Villa with No. 32 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Italy

Dallas Wings select Ashley Owusu with No. 33 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Penn State

Connecticut Sun select Abbey Hsu with No. 34 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Guard, Columbia

New York Liberty select Kaitlyn Davis with No. 35 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Forward, Southern California

Las Vegas Aces select Angel Jackson with No. 36 pick in 2024 WNBA draft

Center, Jackson State

Jackson became the second HBCU player to be drafted in the last 20 years, joining Meshya Williams-Holliday, who was selected by the Indiana Fever in the third round of the 2022 WNBA draft.

How Angel Reese will fit in with the Chicago Sky. It all starts with rebounding

But how does her game translate to the WNBA? 

Monday night, Reese was selected by the Chicago Sky with the No. 7 overall pick, joining SEC rival Kamilla Cardoso from South Carolina, who the Sky took No. 3 overall, and Gonzaga sharpshooter Brynna Maxwell, who they drafted at No. 13 overall.

Reese is an intriguing pro prospect. She’s a tremendous athlete with a great motor, a gifted rebounder who reads the ball off the glass extremely well. At LSU this season, she averaged 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game, one of just a handful of players in women’s college basketball to average a double-double.

But one important thing to note about all those double-doubles: Reese rebounds a lot of her own misses, something that likely won’t be available to her in the WNBA because other forwards will grab the board first — including her teammates.

WNBA commissioner sidesteps question on All-Star Game in Arizona – an anti-abortion state

For a league so outspoken about women’s rights, it might surprise people to learn that the WNBA will hold the 2024 All-Star Game in Phoenix.

Just last week, the Arizona Supreme Court voted to enforce a near-total abortion ban that dates to 1864, a decision that does not reflect the values of one of the nation’s most progressive professional sports leagues.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert did not answer a question about if the league discussed moving the 2024 All-Star Game during her pre-draft remarks to media Monday night. The game is scheduled for July 20 and was announced in March. — Lindsay Schnell and Nancy Armour

What makes Caitlin Clark so good? 

We asked some hoops legends for their thoughts on the generational talent. Steph Curry, Maya Moore, Kelsey Mitchell and others broke down her game, explaining what makes her so special.  

What’s the most important thing Caitlin Clark will bring to her new WNBA team? She explains.

Caitlin Clark is well-known for her incredible shooting – go watch videos of those logo threes – but the likely No. 1 overall pick, says scoring may not be the biggest thing she brings to the WNBA.

‘I think the biggest thing is my passing,’ Clark said during a conversation with LaChina Robinson, Carolyn Peck and Chiney Ogwumike during ESPN’s pre-draft show. ‘I think that’s kind of what people overlooked sometimes in college. People just love the scoring so much, and don’t get me wrong, I love shooting the ball, but I think that’s the biggest thing. And obviously being surrounded by so much talent no matter where I end up – the league is loaded with so many people – I think (passing) is something I always had a knack for.

‘I grew up playing soccer and understanding angles and seeing the game before it even happens. And I think once I get playing with my teammates, they’ll be able to read me too and read my eyes. I love playing with good post players. I love playing with good guards and wings. And that’s what this league is all about.’

More teams coming to WNBA, but how soon?

WNBA expansion is on everyone’s mind, including WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s.

During her pre-draft availability Monday evening Engelbert said “our plan and goal is to get to 16 teams in the next few years” — but she wouldn’t give a specific timeline.

Late in 2023, it was reported that Portland would be the 14th team and begin play in 2025, the same season the Bay Area team is slated to begin play. But then Portland fell apart as an immediate expansion city for a variety of reasons, meaning the league will play with just 13 teams in 2025.

Other cities are in discussions with the league to bring a WNBA team to their neighborhood, including Philadelphia, Nashville, Denver, Toronto and others (Portland is also still in consideration).

“By 2028 I feel pretty confident we’ll be at 16 teams,” Engelbert said.

She added that there are no details to share yet on the expansion draft that will be necessary before the 2025 season, but said it’s likely to take place in December of this year.

Women’s basketball is rising, but issues like travel still exist for WNBA

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert can’t stop gushing about the rise of the game, which is more popular than ever before. And she’s convinced it’s only going to get better. ‘Women’s basketball is not a fad, Engelbert said. ‘We’ve been steadily building this momentum for years, and we’re ready for what’s next.’

All that being said, the W still will not charter planes for every trip, a major issue across the league that players have been outspoken about for years. The league does provide charters for the entirety of the playoffs and all back-to-back games – there are numerous back-to-backs this season because the schedule is tightly compressed with the 2024 Summer Olympics break – but for regular season games, it sounds like it’ll continue to be commercial flights for many of the world’s best athletes.

Tickets to watch WNBA draft in person sold out FAST

This is the first year since 2016 that the WNBA Draft has had fans in attendance, which is interesting. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said tickets sold out in less than 30 minutes, which is par for the course where Caitlin Clark is concerned. Engelbert has called the rise of women’s basketball over the last year ‘a transformational moment in sports.’ 

Will Caitlin Clark play in 2024 Paris Olympics?

Clark has played on USA Basketball’s youth teams — she has three gold medals and was MVP of the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup — and was added to the Olympic pool last month. She was unable to attend the national team’s most recent training camp because it occurred during the Final Four but called the invitation “a tremendous honor.”

There are no more training camps scheduled before the USOPC’s July 7 deadline to submit the U.S. Olympic team. That doesn’t mean Clark is out of the running for Paris, however.

Though rare, Clark making the Olympic team right out of college would not be unprecedented. Both Diana Taurasi (2004) and Breanna Stewart (2016) did.

WNBA draft prospects visit Empire State Building

The biggest prospects in the 2024 WNBA draft arrived in New York City for their big moment Monday night but not before a visit to one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

The players visited the Empire State Building in Manhattan early Monday before heading over to Brooklyn for the night’s festivities, where the 12 WNBA teams will select their newest additions at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Caitlin Clark and Kamilla Cardoso, who faced off in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game earlier this month, lit the Empire State Building in orange — the signature color of the league.

Next stop for Caitlin Clark is WNBA. What kind of player will she be for Indiana Fever? 

Caitlin Clark has been called the greatest of all time (by Iowa fans), overrated (by most other Big Ten fans), “an alien,” (by Diana Taurasi), a generational talent (by Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey) and just about every other superlative you can imagine.  

But what do any of those descriptors mean when it comes to how her game will translate to the WNBA?  

Clark, who scored 30 points in her final college game, an 87-75 loss to South Carolina in the national championship, is expected to be taken No. 1 by the Indiana Fever tonight at the 2024 WNBA draft in Brooklyn. But what can basketball fans reasonably expect from Clark in her first professional season? USA TODAY’s Lindsay Schnell breaks it all down. 

Chiney Ogwumike calls Cameron Brink ‘best two-way player in this draft’

It’s been 10 years since Chiney Ogwumike, an All-American in her time at Stanford, went No. 1 to the Connecticut Sun. Now a forward with the Los Angeles Sparks, Ogwumike on Monday afternoon called fellow Cardinal standout Cameron Brink — who’s expected to be drafted No. 2 overall by the Sparks — the “best two-way player in this draft.”

Brink, who earlier this month was named the national defensive player of the year, averaged 17.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game her senior season. She’s a shot-blocking sensation — when she can stay out of foul trouble. Earlier Monday, Brink was added to the USA Basketball 3×3 pool for the upcoming Paris Olympics. 

Catch more of Ogwumike breaking down Brink and soon-to-be No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark’s games here.

2024 WNBA mock draft: Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink at top of draft boards

Monday’s WNBA draft is arguably the most anticipated since the 2013 draft when Brittney Griner went No. 1 overall to the Phoenix Mercury, Elena Delle Donne was selected second by the Chicago Sky, and the Tulsa Shock (now Dallas Wings) used the third pick to take Skylar Diggins.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, who led her team to a second consecutive national championship game appearance, leaves school as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and a two-time national player of the year.

Her mere presence in the WNBA is expected to bring new excitement to a league that has had trouble getting eyeballs for the majority of its 28-season existence. But for most of these draft picks cracking a roster, even as a first-round selection, can be a tough task as there are only 144 roster spots available over the 12-team league. Read Scooby Axson’s full WNBA mock draft.

Serena Williams says she’d ‘be super-interested’ in owning a WNBA team

With women’s basketball on the rise as the 2024 WNBA Draft arrives, one of the most dominant athletes in all of sports said she is interested in becoming an owner of a professional women’s basketball team.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, 23-time grand slam tennis champion Serena Williams said she is interested in becoming a WNBA owner. Because of the excitement and interest surrounding women’s sports, Williams said ‘it’s an overly safe bet’ for her to invest.

“I absolutely would be (interested). With the right market, I would definitely be super-interested in that,” she said.

WNBA draft prospect Alissa Pili among Polynesian players lifting women’s basketball

To fully understand and appreciate the pride Utah women’s basketball standout Alissa Pili feels for her Polynesian heritage, one needs only to look at her right leg. 

Tattooed there, in prominent display from ankle to hip, is a spiral of Polynesian tribal symbols. In ancient times, ink like that — especially full sleeves — was typically associated with warriors. But because the senior, who is Samoan and Alaska Native (Inupiaq), also values femininity, she asked her tattoo artist to add flowers, too

That’s also a fitting description for Pili, a top prospect in the 2024 WNBA draft, and a likely first-round pick. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full story on Pili and how Polynesian women’s basketball players are taking pride in sharing heritage while growing game.

What is the 2024 WNBA draft order?  

FIRST ROUND 

UPDATE: The WNBA announced Sunday afternoon that the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx swapped first-round picks, which is reflected below. 

Indiana Fever 
Los Angeles Sparks 
Chicago Sky (from Phoenix Mercury) 
Los Angeles Sparks (from Seattle Storm) 
Dallas Wings (from Chicago Sky) 
Washington Mystics 
Chicago Sky (from Atlanta Dream, via Los Angeles Sparks) 
Minnesota Lynx 
Dallas Wings 
Connecticut Sun 
New York Liberty 
Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas Aces via Los Angeles Sparks) 

SECOND ROUND 

 Chicago Sky (from Phoenix Mercury) 
 Seattle Storm 
 Indiana Fever 
 Las Vegas Aces (from Los Angeles Sparks) 
 New York Liberty (from Chicago Sky) 
 Las Vegas Aces (from Washington Mystics) 
 Connecticut Sun (from Minnesota Lynx) 
 Atlanta Dream 
 Washington Mystics (from Dallas Wings) 
 Connecticut Sun 
 New York Liberty 
 Las Vegas Aces 

THIRD ROUND 

 Phoenix Mercury 
 Seattle Storm 
 Indiana Fever 
 Los Angeles Sparks 
 Phoenix Mercury (from Chicago Sky) 
 Washington Mystics  
 Minnesota Lynx 
 Atlanta Dream 
 Dallas Wings 
 Connecticut Sun 
 New York Liberty 
 Las Vegas Aces 

Who will be the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft? 

There is no likely about it. The Indiana Fever are expected to select Caitlin Clark with the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday. 

Who has first pick in WNBA draft? 

The Indiana Fever earned the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft after winning the draft lottery on Dec. 10, 2023. 

This marks the second consecutive year that the Fever has the first pick. Indiana selected former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 pick in 2023. Boston went on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year honors last year. 

What players are at the WNBA draft? 

Following the conclusion of the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament, where a record 18.7 million people tuned into the NCAA championship game to see the South Carolina Gamecocks and Kamilla Cardoso defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark, fans can now turn the page to the 2024 WNBA draft to witness both stars turn pro. 

Clark and Cardoso headline 15 prospects invited to the 2024 WNBA draft, which will be held Monday, April 15 (starting at 7:30 p.m. ET) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. 

The 2024 WNBA draft prospect class includes Clark, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer; Cardoso, who was named the 2024 NCAA Tournament’s most outstanding player after leading the undefeated Gamecocks to a national championship; Syracuse’s Dyaisha Fair, who has the third-most points in NCAA women’s history; and LSU’s Angel Reese, who led the Tigers to a national title in 2023 as that year’s most outstanding player. 

How many rounds is the WNBA draft? 

The WNBA draft consists of three rounds with 12 picks in each round. 

How is the WNBA draft order determined? 

The order is determined by last year’s standings with the teams with the worst records picking first and the top teams picking last. The exceptions are the first four picks of the first round, which were determined by the draft lottery, and any picks that are traded. Draft picks can be traded until the order is locked in at 5 p.m. ET on April 14 (the day before the draft). 

Caitlin Clark is best thing to happen to WNBA. Why are some players so frosty toward her? 

As the most promising day in the history of the WNBA arrives, the American cultural spotlight shines brighter than it ever has on a female athlete in a team sport, and on the possibility she brings to lift basketball and all women’s sports to a place they have never been. 

But the glare of that bright and sometimes harsh light hasn’t fixed on the magical Caitlin Clark alone. Over the past couple of weeks, it has focused on the players who have come before her, some of whom strangely appear to be having trouble accepting and dealing with her fame, even as they will benefit greatly from it. 

As Clark was leading Iowa to its second consecutive NCAA final, this one a loss to undefeated national champion South Carolina, and delivering massive TV ratings that for the first time ever beat the men, some of the biggest names in her sport were talking about her. Of course they were. How could they not? Everyone wanted to know what they thought about this generational talent, this household name, this college record-breaker — superstars like Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart in particular. Read Christine Brennan’s full column. 

What’s next for Caitlin Clark? Her college career is over, but Iowa star has busy months ahead 

What’s next for CC? Caitlin Clark’s brilliant, record-breaking collegiate career came to an end when Iowa and two-time national player of the year fell in the national championship game for the second consecutive year as South Carolina capped a perfect season.  

Clark, a logo shooting supernova who captured the hearts and eyes of millions over the past couple seasons while re-writing the scoring record books, will go down as one of the most transcendent stars in all of sports, at all of 22 years old. In a state with a deep history of hoops known for producing stellar women’s basketball players, Clark stands above the rest. 

So what’s next for the Des Moines native? Plenty. And it’s going to be a whirlwind few weeks. 

Caitlin Clark joins ‘Weekend Update’ desk during surprise ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance 

Women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark made a surprise appearance on this week’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ during the show’s ‘Weekend Update’ segment. 

Clark, who will likely be the top pick in Monday’s WNBA draft that is being held in New York, popped by Studio 8H and joined the ‘Weekend Update’ desk with anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost. 

The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer showed up after Che made a joke about Iowa retiring Clark’s jersey. Che then read some more jokes that Clark ‘wrote.’ 

After the humorous exchange, Clark delivered a heartfelt message about her basketball future after Che wished her success in her upcoming rookie season in the WNBA. — Jace Evans 

NEW YORK — Angel Reese certainly doesn’t have a lack of confidence.

She looked like a star ready to take over the league as she strolled on the orange carpet, posing for photographs before the WNBA draft in a sparkly black dress, befitting her self-proclaimed moniker ‘Bayou Barbie.’

That wasn’t the case two weeks ago after a defeat to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament when Reese broke down crying and said she had a challenging year. This included being benched early in the season and missing four other games for reasons that still have not been explained.

But she did address the perception that she was a villain.

“I don’t really get to speak out on things just because I try to ignore and I just try to stand strong. I would still sit here and say, ‘I’m unapologetically me.’ I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that,” Reese said after that Iowa loss.

Undeterred, Reese again put together an excellent season, averaging 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game and winning the SEC Player of the Year award.

The Chicago Sky drafted the LSU star with the No. 7 pick in the WNBA draft and she says she lives by the motto, “Every day the sun don’t shine, that’s why I love tomorrow.’

And with the increased eyeballs on the league this year because of her and some of her contemporaries (including one whose last name is Clark), Reese is more than ready for the spotlight.

“We need to market around that,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert said before Monday’s draft.

Before the draft, Reese said it didn’t matter to her where she got drafted but she hoped to go into the right fit and a chance to showcase her skills, which included 61 double-doubles in the past two seasons.

The Sky is coached by Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon, who was coached by LSU’s Kim Mulkey when she was an assistant at Louisiana Tech.

‘Knowing the conversations were so good, she felt like a mother to me. Being able to be a black woman as a head coach,’ Reese said. ‘I just knew everything they were bringing to the table. I’m super excited for this move and looking forward to getting to Chicago.’

The 21-year-old Reese could have used her extra COVID season to come back to LSU. But after winning a national championship and being one of the marquee names in women’s basketball, she felt it was time to move on.

‘Coming back would’ve been amazing for me, but I wanted more for myself,’ Reese said. ‘I wanted to start over. I felt like I had been on a high since the national championship and I wanna hit rock bottom.’

Chicago went 18-22 last season and are just three years removed from winning its first WNBA championship.

‘I want to be a rookie again. I wanna be knocked down by vets and I wanna be able to get up and grow and be a sponge, so I’m just super excited to play with amazing players and against amazing players,’ Reese said. ‘This league is really competitive, and I’m a competitive player, so I wanna play against a lot of players.’

Reese says she is looking forward to bonding with new teammate, former South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso.

The two players were not only rivals in college competing in the SEC, but also when Reese attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore in high school and Cardoso went to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Cardoso did have one prediction for the season.

‘She’s a great player and I’m a great player. Nobody’s gonna get more rebounds than us,’ Cardoso said. ‘I think we are going to do great things together.’