BREAKING: Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are the top two prospects invited to the WNBA Draft.

Notable individuals Cameron Brink and Kamilla Cardoso were also invited to the draft.

The WNBA is getting ready for its annual display of young talent that is expected to have a significant impact on the women’s professional basketball scene—the 2024 draft event—which takes place on Monday. Leading the group of 15 outstanding talents invited to the 2024 draft are LSU’s Angel Reese, known for her dominant play during the NCAA season, and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who has made headlines for her incredible scoring ability.

The draft is scheduled to start on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. For teams trying to add elite players to their squads, it looks to be a crucial night.

This season, Caitlin Clark has drawn the interest of both basketball observers and players, elevating the profile of women’s basketball. This season, she broke Lynette Woodard’s record for the most points scored by a woman at any major university and became the all-time best scorer in Division I basketball for both men’s and women’s games.

Draft invitees include other notable names

Alongside Clark at the top of the list are Stanford’s Cameron Brink, fresh off an All-America campaign, and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, the most recent national champion and Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. These players are the best of the best in a very talented draft class.

Another top prospect, Angel Reese, proved she was a first-round talent by leading the LSU Tigers to a national championship and displaying her strength in pivotal moments. Her strong showing in the NCAA Tournament has improved her draft position and established her as a player who can contribute right away.

According to Alexa Philippou of ESPN, other notable invitees include Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech, Charisma Osborne of UCLA, Alissa Pili of Utah, Marquesha Davis of Ole Miss, Rickea Jackson of Tennessee, Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl of UConn, Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor of Ohio State, Dyaisha Fair of Syracuse, and Nyadiew Puoch from Australia. The athletes’ diversity demonstrates the competitive and international scope of women’s basketball today.

The top of the draft could drastically alter the future of numerous franchises, with the Los Angeles Sparks owning the second and fourth overall picks and the Chicago Sky selecting third. Three rounds of thirty-six selections will provide teams an opportunity to add young players who might define the WNBA’s future.

The impact of Caitlin Clark on WNBA games and the draft

The WNBA’s promotional efforts for the upcoming draft have been strategic. A recently released hype video begins with the intriguing question, “Who Will Be Next?” before rolling into a montage of highlights from several top prospects, including Clark.

Additionally, The Fever has profited from the excitement surrounding Clark’s anticipated selection. For the upcoming season, the team has arranged for broad nationwide media coverage, with 36 of the Fever’s 40 games airing on national broadcast and streaming platforms.

Throughout the season, the WNBA is not just advertising major matches but also game broadcasts. The “Rising Star Standoff,” which pits the Fever against the Los Angeles Sparks to showcase the league’s fresh talent and spirit of competition, is one of the season’s highlights.