Caitlin Clark to the WNBA | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Caitlin Clark to the WNBA

She’s ready, and pretty obviously has been since she was a sophomore.

I’m going to miss her. I think we’ll still be talking about what she did for the sport decades down the road. She’s leaving NCAAW in a better place than she found it, and there’s a whole generation of young stars behind her ready to keep it going.

I’ve long wanted to see Boston with an elite PG and Clark with an elite post. If both stay healthy and Smith sticks around I’d be shocked if Indiana isn’t championship level-good in the next three years.
 
I’ll make a couple bold predictions — I think she’ll be a 20-ppg scorer her first season and I think the Fever will get at least two wins out of their season series’ with the Aces, Liberty, and Sun.
 
I think the W will be happy if both Clark and Brink declare for the draft, even if a few other seniors don't. They are the two big fish and impact players both on the floor and commercially, and LA might have been worried that both would come back, leaving the top of the draft relatively weak. They are both ready to be good from the get go at the next level IMO.

For any team that is a potential top contender next year, I hope their stars do not return for obvious reasons, making Uconn's path easier.
 
MSSportsGuy said:
Last year people were speaking that Boston might return for year 5. I never thought she would as she was the clear number one draft selection and in that case players should move on.

I know Kitley, Holmes, and Jackson all came back for year 5 but I'd say only Jackson will likely stick in the W. Every player has to make the decision that is best for them.
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Trying to project who will and won't make it in the W isn't something I'm a fan of. For example, I wouldn't count out Holmes. Considering she wasn't highly recruited, who would have projected her to be one of the better post players in NCAA and a NPOY candidate by this point?

For comparison, I look at Naz Hillmon and Bridget Carleton as examples of players who some didn't expect to stick in the W. Atlanta recently exercised their 4th year option of Hillmon's contract. Some thought Amihere was going to surplant her when she was drafted last season.

Carleton recently resigned with Minnesota after being drafted and cut by Connecticut. Some didn't think she'd survive beyond the first couple seasons. And Minnesota had drafted Dangerfield who was a ROY winner only to cut her afterwards and she bounced around a bit before settling in Dallas (think she's still there for 2024?)

All I can say is who really knows?
 
triaddukefan said:
I imagine a lot of SCar, UConn, and Iowa State fans are happy with this announcement.

I love it that Clark and the beloved former Scar legend Boston will be teammates :D. Scar fans will be conflicted.
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You're forgetting a few teams from there conference she plays in who should be on this list ;). I believe there may be some fans in Indiana, Ohio State and Maryland who may be happy, to name a few. However, this may be short lived with Watkins, Betts and their respective teams coming to conference play.
 
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Good for her. She has had a tremendous career, and has done a ton to increase the interest in WCBB across the country. She's also being "talked about" a lot. Happy she's content with her decision and ready to attack the next challenge in her life!

Hopefully she brings a lot of new eyeballs to the WNBA. But also looking forward to seeing how her game changes at the next level.
 
cancontent said:
Trying to project who will and won't make it in the W isn't something I'm a fan of. For example, I wouldn't count out Holmes. Considering she wasn't highly recruited, who would have projected her to be one of the better post players in NCAA and a NPOY candidate by this point?

For comparison, I look at Naz Hillmon and Bridget Carleton as examples of players who some didn't expect to stick in the W. Atlanta recently exercised their 4th year option of Hillmon's contract. Some thought Amihere was going to surplant her when she was drafted last season.

Carleton recently resigned with Minnesota after being drafted and cut by Connecticut. Some didn't think she'd survive beyond the first couple seasons. And Minnesota had drafted Dangerfield who was a ROY winner only to cut her afterwards and she bounced around a bit before settling in Dallas (think she's still there for 2024?)

All I can say is who really knows?
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I think Megan Gustafson is a better comparison as far as playing style. She's bounced around, kind of had to reinvent herself as a player, but I think she's a solid contributor in the W now.
 
cancontent said:
Trying to project who will and won't make it in the W isn't something I'm a fan of. For example, I wouldn't count out Holmes. Considering she wasn't highly recruited, who would have projected her to be one of the better post players in NCAA and a NPOY candidate by this point?

For comparison, I look at Naz Hillmon and Bridget Carleton as examples of players who some didn't expect to stick in the W. Atlanta recently exercised their 4th year option of Hillmon's contract. Some thought Amihere was going to surplant her when she was drafted last season.

Carleton recently resigned with Minnesota after being drafted and cut by Connecticut. Some didn't think she'd survive beyond the first couple seasons. And Minnesota had drafted Dangerfield who was a ROY winner only to cut her afterwards and she bounced around a bit before settling in Dallas (think she's still there for 2024?)

All I can say is who really knows?
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You make valid points and there is never any real way to guess who makes it and who doesn't. I think Jackson has more upside but that's no guarantee either.

I'm far from an expert so I strike my statement those two fine players may not stick in the league.
 
Okay, maybe a crazy thought, but does Clark really project as a PG in the WNBA? Obviously she's a great passer and has put up big assists numbers. But so did Ionescu, who has been kind of off and on as the PG or 2G as a pro. Probably could say the same about Taurasi long before either of the other two. Ultimately I don't think it really matters, she's a skilled guard who will help her team, just curious about others' thoughts.
 
I'm not surprised, partly because Caitlin's boyfriend works for one of the pro teams in Indianapolis.

I think the Fever will be quite good, though I'm not sure how many shots Caitlin and Kelsey Mitchell will take. Caitlin has always been fairly efficient, but getting the ball to Boston, Smith, and Lou should be even mores so.
 
nwhoopfan said:
Okay, maybe a crazy thought, but does Clark really project as a PG in the WNBA? Obviously she's a great passer and has put up big assists numbers. But so did Ionescu, who has been kind of off and on as the PG or 2G as a pro. Probably could say the same about Taurasi long before either of the other two. Ultimately I don't think it really matters, she's a skilled guard who will help her team, just curious about others' thoughts.
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She can probably play either guard position and be great at either. She’s such a great passer I think she’ll be a terrific PG. Goodness, imagine Boston, Smith, Mitchell, Clark and whoever they decide for the 3rd guard and that’s a playoff contender right there. I‘m excited for Aliyah. Indiana looks like they are invested in their WNBA team and it will pay off in the short term. I bet their games are sellouts everywhere.
 
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MilfordHusky said:
I'm not surprised, partly because Caitlin's boyfriend works for one of the pro teams in Indianapolis.

I think the Fever will be quite good, though I'm not sure how many shots Caitlin and Kelsey Mitchell will take. Caitlin has always been fairly efficient, but getting the ball to Boston, Smith, and Lou should be even mores so.
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I'm with you on getting the ball to Boston and Smith, but Samuelson is going to be a role player with this roster. Getting her a high volume of shots shouldn't be a priority. She might be last among the starters in FGA.
 
visitingcock said:
Let’s all hope she can do for the W what she has done for the Big Ten. Massive increase in anttendance and TV viewership ( with pay raises to follow.)
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There are quite a few young, talented, charismatic athletes heading to the W. Clark is certainly one of them. I agree that they are likely to increase interest.
 
nwhoopfan said:
I'm with you on getting the ball to Boston and Smith, but Samuelson is going to be a role player with this roster. Getting her a high volume of shots shouldn't be a priority. She might be last among the starters in FGA.
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Her or Vivians should slide in well as the 5th starter. KLS especially is a very good spot up shooter. If they let Clark do her thing and dominate the ball like she's done in Iowa, I'd expect KLS/Vivians percentages to go up significantly, as they'll get much cleaner looks than they're used to in the pros.
 
bballnut90 said:
KLS especially is a very good spot up shooter.
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Is she? That's certainly her reputation, but as a pro honestly I think she's been pretty average.
 
MilfordHusky said:
I'm not surprised, partly because Caitlin's boyfriend works for one of the pro teams in Indianapolis.

I think the Fever will be quite good, though I'm not sure how many shots Caitlin and Kelsey Mitchell will take. Caitlin has always been fairly efficient, but getting the ball to Boston, Smith, and Lou should be even mores so.
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Teams that win Championships in the WNBA usually have more then one person who can run the offense. Seattle had Bird Loyd and Stewie. The Aces have Gray, Plum, and Parker when healthy.
 
visitingcock said:
Let’s all hope she can do for the W what she has done for the Big Ten. Massive increase in anttendance and TV viewership ( with pay raises to follow.)
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Hopefully, her agent will take into account the attendance and TV viewership increase to command gate receipts and TV revenue....It will be hard to do, but I'd love to see a savvy attorney help negotiate that. My fear too is if that were to happen, will she make adversaries even among her team?
 
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TN-Gamecock said:
Hopefully, her agent will take into account the attendance and TV viewership increase to command gate receipts and TV revenue....It will be hard to do, but I'd love to see a savvy attorney help negotiate that. My fear too is if that were to happen, will she make adversaries even among her team?
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I wish her well but let's face reality here. When given the choice between on a mid-season Sunday of grilling and going in the pool or watching WNBA what do you think happens? The WNBA loses. She's a phenomenal talent who's elevated the women's game but reality will set in. You can poo poo this assessment but I don't know how wrong I am.
 
The WNBA's TV deal with ESPN is up in 2025. Most people think the next deal will be significantly bigger, which obviously supports league salaries. If Clark is able to bring more viewership to the WNBA, that will benefit all players.
 
bbsamjj said:
The WNBA's TV deal with ESPN is up in 2025. Most people think the next deal will be significantly bigger, which obviously supports league salaries. If Clark is able to bring more viewership to the WNBA, that will benefit all players.
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Well yes, but should she not be compensated for being a part of that increase in viewership? Let's be honest, she is the reason women's college basketball viewership is up. It is nice that because of her that other players will benefit, but she's a SUPER star, and thus should be rewarded as one. Caitlin is the GOLD standard.
 
triaddukefan said:
I imagine a lot of SCar, UConn, and Iowa State fans are happy with this announcement.

I love it that Clark and the beloved former Scar legend Boston will be teammates :D. Scar fans will be conflicted.
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Well, it's been a ride for some folks already.
 
MSSportsGuy said:
You make valid points and there is never any real way to guess who makes it and who doesn't. I think Jackson has more upside but that's no guarantee either.

I'm far from an expert so I strike my statement those two fine players may not stick in the league.
Expand ...
I'm a big fan of Jackson myself and believe her game translates well into the WNBA. Not saying Holmes will, but I wouldn't be surprised she finds a niche at that level.
 
TN-Gamecock said:
Hopefully, her agent will take into account the attendance and TV viewership increase to command gate receipts and TV revenue....It will be hard to do, but I'd love to see a savvy attorney help negotiate that. My fear too is if that were to happen, will she make adversaries even among her team?
Expand ...
bbsamjj said:
The WNBA's TV deal with ESPN is up in 2025. Most people think the next deal will be significantly bigger, which obviously supports league salaries. If Clark is able to bring more viewership to the WNBA, that will benefit all players.
Expand ...
TN-Gamecock said:
Well yes, but should she not be compensated for being a part of that increase in viewership? Let's be honest, she is the reason women's college basketball viewership is up. It is nice that because of her that other players will benefit, but she's a SUPER star, and thus should be rewarded as one. Caitlin is the GOLD standard.
Expand ...

Wouldn't the current WNBA agreement with the WNBPA have some impact on the terms for any contract Clark negotiates with a team? Kelsey Plum had talked about it in an interview noting that they don't get a piece of some streams that NBA players do. While I'm sure there are economics behind it, I think it limits what Clark can get directly from the team.

Having a good agent is one thing, but the next collective bargaining agreement will also have impact on what Clark can earn. Can the WNBPA get a better revenue sharing deal that factors in a percentage from a new TV deal? Hopefully both the WNBA and WNBPA can leverage Clark's market potential to benefit both sides.
 
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whalerfan said:
I wish her well but let's face reality here. When given the choice between on a mid-season Sunday of grilling and going in the pool or watching WNBA what do you think happens? The WNBA loses. She's a phenomenal talent who's elevated the women's game but reality will set in. You can poo poo this assessment but I don't know how wrong I am.
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Ok Darren. Why so negative about someone's career choice? Perhaps she's done with college, wants to move on. Competitors will find a way to do so, no matter where they are. As someone with a daughter, wouldn't you want CC to participate in growing the women's game?
 
BRS24 said:
Ok Darren. Why so negative about someone's career choice? Perhaps she's done with college, wants to move on. Competitors will find a way to do so, no matter where they are. As someone with a daughter, wouldn't you want CC to participate in growing the women's game?
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I had two daughters play basketball yet I would have to drag them kicking and screaming to a WNBA game. Not a problem with a UConn game. They were all in. Also, did I not say that I wish her well? There are certain financial constraints to the WNBA and while she may make more money due to endorsements (which she's doing now - thank you State Farm) she's going to have to travel abroad to make the major dollars. That and given when the season is there are plenty of other things for people to do. Right now all eyeballs are on the college game as we're post Super Bowl and pre Opening Day. She's got to major networks (Fox & ESPN) promoting her. When she gets to the next level it'll only be one. That being said, I wish her well and success in her new career.
 
whalerfan said:
I had two daughters play basketball yet I would have to drag them kicking and screaming to a WNBA game. Not a problem with a UConn game. They were all in. Also, did I not say that I wish her well? There are certain financial constraints to the WNBA and while she may make more money due to endorsements (which she's doing now - thank you State Farm) she's going to have to travel abroad to make the major dollars. That and given when the season is there are plenty of other things for people to do. Right now all eyeballs are on the college game as we're post Super Bowl and pre Opening Day. She's got to major networks (Fox & ESPN) promoting her. When she gets to the next level it'll only be one. That being said, I wish her well and success in her new career.
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Fair points.
 
whalerfan said:
I had two daughters play basketball yet I would have to drag them kicking and screaming to a WNBA game. Not a problem with a UConn game. They were all in. Also, did I not say that I wish her well? There are certain financial constraints to the WNBA and while she may make more money due to endorsements (which she's doing now - thank you State Farm) she's going to have to travel abroad to make the major dollars. That and given when the season is there are plenty of other things for people to do. Right now all eyeballs are on the college game as we're post Super Bowl and pre Opening Day. She's got to major networks (Fox & ESPN) promoting her. When she gets to the next level it'll only be one. That being said, I wish her well and success in her new career.
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She’s reportedly going to get $3m a year from a shoe deal, still keep all of her other sponsors (ball park guess another $1m, could be more when factoring in her exploding social media accounts if more deals are made), plus keep her WNBA salary, merch sales and any other bonuses that come with it. At the end of the day she’s likely making close to $5 million a year without going overseas.


The ultimate impact of her going to the WNBA is unknown, but I’d bet big money the WNBA will have higher attendance and viewership this year across the board. Her joining the league is not an overnight fix to sustained growth in the league but she’s going to draw a lot of new fans and there will be a ton of eyes on the sport this summer which can be attributed directly to her.
 
nwhoopfan said:
I think Megan Gustafson is a better comparison as far as playing style. She's bounced around, kind of had to reinvent herself as a player, but I think she's a solid contributor in the W now.
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One thing Holmes has that Gustafson didn't coming out of college is that she's a really good defender. Gustafson also having the range Holmes does. She doesn't have a consistent three yet, but she seems to be trying to make a good case to become a stretch four.
 
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