It’s official. University of Iowa student Caitlin Clark is entering the 2024 WNBA draft.
The record-breaking college basketball star announced Thursday, Feb. 29 that she will leave her University of Iowa Hawkeyes one year early and participate in the upcoming WNBA draft on April 15.
She revealed her decision in a statement posted to her X account.
“While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at lowa,” she shared. “I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft.”
The 22-year-old continued, “It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me during my time at lowa — my teammates, who made the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be me; Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the young kids.”
At the end of the message, she also thanked her family and friends for always cheering her on.
“Because of all of you, my dreams came true,” she sweetly said.
Clark’s post included a picture of her on the basketball court raising one finger in the air.
The guard, who had another season of eligibility, has become the current face of women’s college basketball and will likely be on the radar of all 12 WNBA teams.
But, the Indiana Fever seemed to suggest they already know who they are selecting with their No. 1 draft pick when the college basketball season ends in a couple months.
Less than an hour after Clark made her announcement, the Fever’s official X account posted a No. 1 graphic and cheekily tweeted, “We’re just simply reminding you that there are only 46 days until the 2024 WNBA Draft.”
Clark officially entering the draft comes at the end of a momentous month. On Feb. 15, she became the all-time NCAA women’s scorer, passing the record of 3,527 points Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum set during her collegiate career in 2017.
Just two weeks later, Clark passed Lynette Woodard’s women’s scoring record of 3,649 for college basketball on Feb. 28. When Woodard played, from 1977 to 1981, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women oversaw women’s college basketball.
Soon, the senior will knock down the record for most points by a male or female player in NCAA basketball history. The record, currently held by Pete Maravich, is 3,667 points and Clark is just 18 points away from surpassing it. Since she averages 32.2 points per game, she will likely break the record when the Hawkeyes face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday, March 3.
Although Hawkeye fans will surely be sad to see their star player go, they’ll get to enjoy her historic run a little longer. At 25-4, the women’s team is hoping to be the last team standing when March Madness concludes with the championship game on April 7 in Cleveland, Ohio.