With the 2024 WNBA draft now in the books, which rookies are well-positioned to make an immediate impact in fantasy women’s basketball this season?
We turned to our fantasy experts Andre Snellings, Eric Moody and Liz Loza to to get their thoughts on that and other big questions following an exciting draft night in Brooklyn.
Where do you expect Caitlin Clark to be picked in fantasy drafts this season now that she’s officially on the Indiana Fever?
Clark has such a massive following coming off her college career that I expect her to be drafted very early. Much like Wemby in the NBA, I expect her to be off the board by the second round of most drafts. With the average league having six managers, I’d say this makes her right around a top-10 pick in a lot of leagues. — Snellings
There’s no way Clark isn’t drafted inside the top 15 players. The Fever played to an audience of just over 4,000 fans per home game last year. Less than a week ahead of yesterday’s draft the team confirmed a rapid “spike” in ticket sales with prices at marketplaces like Vivid Seats reporting an increase of over 90%. The hype is real and figures to spill over into fantasy. — Loza
I expect Clark to be drafted in Round 3 or Round 4 of fantasy drafts. Her average draft position should be eerily similar to former No. 1 picks Aliyah Boston and Rhyne Howard. The good news is that both players were fantasy-relevant as rookies, and that trend should continue with Clark. Clark was the first player in Division I history, men’s or women’s, to reach 3,000 points and 1,000 assists. Her skill set will translate well to the WNBA. — Moody
Do you expect Clark to live up to her lofty average draft position (ADP) as a rookie?
My initial thought is that Clark won’t live up to her ADP. Here’s why: Few athletes have captured the nation’s attention like she has, and that interest isn’t going away. Managers will reach for Clark in fantasy drafts. Also, she won’t have to carry the scoring load with the Indiana Fever, since she’ll be playing alongside last season’s Rookie of the Year, Boston, who I anticipate she’ll feed often in the post. — Moody
Clark is a record-breaking scorer. Her long range shooting is awe-inspiring. But she’s also an incredible passer, as Rebecca Lobo noted after Clark made history over the weekend. Each assist is worth a point in ESPN’s fantasy scoring. Given Clark’s overall offensive prowess, it’s going to be hard for me to rank her outside of the top 12. — Loza
Clark’s game has a good chance to translate well to the next level. Everything is set up by her ridiculous shooting range, well beyond the professional 3-point line, so she could challenge for the league lead from deep as a rookie. And if the defenses extend, we’ve seen how that opens up the court for her to drive and make plays. And on a team full of finishers, Clark should be among the league leaders in assists as well. While it’s a lot to ask her to produce top-10 stats as a rookie, and I do expect her to have an ADP in that range, she at least has a realistic shot to produce at that level in year one. — Snellings
Who will be impacted most by Clark’s presence on the court? Aliyah Boston, NaLyssa Smith or Kelsey Mitchell?
There’s no way Kelsey Mitchell leads the Fever in scoring again in 2024. The 28-year-old finished as a top-10 scorer, averaging over 18 points per game for a second consecutive year. That figures to change once Clark joins her on the court, however, as the vet’s minutes and opportunities are certain to dwindle. — Loza
Clark should have a positive effect on the scoring efficiency of all three, and Boston may be the one whose overall numbers increase the most as she thrives in her sophomore season against defenses that won’t be able to double-team her anymore. With that said, Smith is a great rim-runner, and Mitchell is outstanding as a catch-and-shoot finisher, so both should really benefit from Clark creating good looks and getting them the ball in their scoring pockets. — Snellings
There’s going to be a positive impact on Boston. The scoring ability of Clark is well-documented, but she’s also a great passer. Boston will have more room to operate in the post and opponents won’t be able to double-team her since Clark and Mitchell will make them pay on the perimeter. The Fever were 11th in APG last season. Clark averaged 8.2 APG during her career at Iowa. This is a perfect fit. — Moody
Other than Clark, which other player(s) landed on a team where you expect them to be big fantasy contributors as a rookie?
Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese both have the opportunity to immediately step in and make an impact for a Chicago Sky squad that had difficulty in the paint last season. With Isabelle Harrison out last season after knee surgery, the Sky had the fourth-fewest total rebounds and allowed opponents to shoot the second-highest field goal percentage in the WNBA. Cardoso and Reese are both elite on the glass and on defense, which could earn them minutes and opportunities to produce from the opening tip. — Snellings
Rickea Jackson being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks made a lot of sense. She’s versatile and has the ability to score inside and out. Jackson averaged 20.2 PPG while shooting 48.5% from the floor last season at Tennessee. She has also performed very well in a scrimmage against Team USA last fall. Raegan Pebley, the Sparks general manager, called their lottery picks “foundational” before the draft. She said that they needed players who would not only make an immediate impact, but also have “a long runway ahead of them.” Jackson fits that criteria. — Moody
Cameron Brink has a massive opportunity given Nneka Ogwumike‘s departure for Seattle. The Sparks are desperate for, well, a spark and the former Stanford player is an ace talent who can score from a variety of ranges and locales. She’s also a solid defensive player having been named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year this past March. As Moody noted above, Los Angeles is rebuilding. Both of the team’s rookies are on the rise. — Loza
Did anything else stand out to you as far as fantasy takeaway from the WNBA draft?
Fantasy managers should consider selecting Alissa Pili near the end of their fantasy draft since she was selected by the Minnesota Lynx. Legendary Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve will leverage Pili’s versatility and floor-spacing ability. The rookie was one of four players in the country to average at least 21.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 2.0 APG. A first-round draftee isn’t guaranteed a spot on a team’s rotation or even a roster spot early in their career. However, Pili’s unique set of skills could lead to fantasy relevancy. — Moody
Chicago is another franchise in the midst of a rebuild. The Sky drafted two buzzy rookies — Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese (whom they traded up for) — seemingly attempting to capitalize on each player’s respective talent and momentum. It’s unclear how things will shake out under first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, but the opportunity for both players is rife with upside. — Loza
