The Indiana Fever made the grade in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark entered Monday night as the preordained No. 1 overall pick, and the Fever didn't overthink the choice. The rest of the first round, though, offered much more intrigue.
A deep well of talent — including Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese and more — made it hard for teams to go wrong in their selections. But some did better than others.
Take the Sparks and the Wings, two teams that both had multiple first-round selections. But while Los Angeles made the honor roll, Dallas needs to go back to school.
The Sporting News provided analysis and grades for each first-round pick to gauge their fit with their new team.
WNBA DRAFT TRACKER: Every pick from all three rounds
WNBA Draft grades 2024: Live picks, analysis for Round 1
1. Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark, Iowa
- Grade: A+
We knew this was coming. But that doesn't make the pick any less perfect for Indiana. While the Fever have struggled in recent seasons, they lucked out with Clark and Aliyah Boston as back-to-back No. 1 picks with complementary talents. Either is a franchise cornerstone on her own. Together, they could build a powerhouse.
2. Los Angeles Sparks: Cameron Brink, Stanford
- Grade: A
Another obvious choice, the 6-4 forward will make an immediate impact for the Sparks on the defensive end. Los Angeles needed a replacement for former MVP Nneka Ogwumike, who departed for the Storm in a free agency surprise. While that leaves Brink with big shoes to fill, she proved herself one of the best two-way players in the country at Stanford.
3. Chicago Sky (from Phoenix): Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
- Grade: B+
The 6-7 center immediately becomes one of the tallest players in the WNBA. She's still developing her offense, but she averaged a career-high 14.4 points and 9.7 rebounds this season for South Carolina en route to the national title and the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player awward. A rebuilding Sky team can anchor their lineup around her.
4. Los Angeles Sparks: Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
- Grade: A
Jackson would have been a lottery pick in 2023, but she returned for one more year at Tennessee. That gamble only improved her fortunes, as she remained a lottery pick in a much deeper draft pool — and she brings an already elite scoring touch, as she averaged 17.8 points across her five collegiate seasons.
5. Dallas Wings (from Chicago): Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
- Grade: C
On the one hand, Sheldon is likely the most pro-ready guard in the draft class outside of Clark. On the other hand, the Wings missed out on several players with higher ceilings.
6. Washington Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
- Grade: A
The Mystics picked up a lottery-tier talent in Edwards. If she deals with a freshman slump, blame it on the load she carried for an injury-riddled UConn roster over the last two seasons. But she brings poise and versatility to the lineup for Washington.
7. Chicago Sky (from Minnesota): Angel Reese, LSU
- Grade: B+
The SEC championship game scrap between LSU and South Carolina might come to mind with Reese and Cardoso on the same team. But these two post players could become complementary pieces in an impenetrable defensive frontcourt. As Cardoso put it: "Nobody's going to get no rebounds on us!"
8. Minnesota Lynx (from Chicago, via Atlanta and Los Angeles): Alissa Pili, Utah
- Grade: B+
A polarizing prospect, prognosticators could not decide just what to make of Pili. Count us as among the optimists for the 6-2 forward, who needs to improve her defense but shoots 40.4% from 3-point range.
9. Dallas Wings: Carla Leite, France
- Grade: C-
The Wings ended their first round with another potential overreach. A draft-and-stash candidate isn't a bad idea for a well-stocked Dallas team, but Leite was widely projected as a second- or third-round pick. Did the Wings pick the best international prospect available?
10. Connecticut Sun: Leila Lacan, France
- Grade: B-
Another draft-and-stash candidate, but Lacan is potentially the most prepared of any of the international prospects on this list to make the leap to the WNBA. How quickly will her potential — and the WNBA prioritization rule — line up for the Sun?
11. New York Liberty: Marquesha Davis, Ole Miss
- Grade: C+
The Liberty must have seen something they liked in Davis' defense — and indeed, she is a dogged defender. If New York uses her correctly, Davis could be a fine puzzle piece.
12. Atlanta Dream (from Las Vegas, via Los Angeles): Nyadiew Puoch, Australia
- Grade: A
The inverse of Leite for Dallas, Puoch was expected to come off the board in the middle of the first round. That she fell as far as the No. 12 pick represents a steal for Atlanta, even if the 19-year-old more than likely will not see the WNBA court this season.
