It's an incredibly exciting time to be an Iowa fan AND a women's sports fan.

Former Iowa Hawkeyes Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin were both drafted to the WNBA this spring. Clark, being the number one overall draft pick was immediately selected by the Indiana Fever.

In a surprise for Martin, she was selected by the 2-time WNBA Champions the Las Vegas Aces.

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The Fever fell to the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs, so they are out for the season. But Martin's Aces are continuing their bid for the title in the second-round matchup against the New York Liberty.

This third game of the best of five series will continue on Friday, October 4th at 7:30 PM.

For most of the teams, the season is pretty much over. That means most of the league is thinking about what's next in store.

It's an exciting time for the WNBA. Not only are more eyes on this league, but there are several expansion teams that have recently been announced.

Right now, there are twelve teams in the WNBA including;

  • Las Vegas Aces
  • Indiana Fever
  • Chicago Sky
  • New York Liberty
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Atlanta Dream
  • Seattle Storm
  • Washington Mystics
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • Phoenix Mercury
  • Connecticut Sun
  • Dallas Wings

The newest teams coming to the W will be located in Portland, Oregon; Toronto, Canada; and Oakland, California.

Only one of those teams will be active in the 2025 season. This is the Oakland team and they will be called the Golden State Valkyries.

A Second Draft?

That's right! In addition to the spring draft that takes place right after the NCAA tournament, but there's going to be an expansion draft.

Officials from the WNBA announced that the Valkyries draft will take place on December 6th.

Once the 2024 season is OFFICIALLY concluded, each team will submit a "comprehensive roster list." Every single team will have six protected players that won't be eligible for the draft.

The rest of these players and their contracts will be up for grabs by the Golden State Valkyries, according to reports.

This new team can select a player that doesn't have a contract for 2025. If they select that person, then they get all of the same rights to them that the player’s original team had.

Any player that has been deemed a "core player" or has been on a special contract for two or more years will not be eligible for this draft.

However, Golden State can select one player who's going to be an unrestricted free agent soon. This means that their contract is ending, and they can sign with any team.

So, Could Caitlin Clark Be Drafted?

Phoenix Mercury v Indiana Fever
(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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The simple answer is...no way.

Clark was recently named the WNBA's Rookie of the Year and has done a whole lot for the Fever. If I were a betting woman, I'd bet that Clark would be one of the six protected players that Indiana refuses to lose.

She has helped the team, and the league bring in some big dollars. Read more about the "Caitlin Clark Effect" here.

Stay up to date with everything going on in Eastern Iowa and beyond by downloading the free station app from your app store.

Also, do not forget to follow the station across all social media platforms for the latest news, entertainment, and sports updates.

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West Des Moines native and Iowa Hawkeye alum Caitlin Clark has taken the world by storm over the past year. She was selected 1st overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Her rookie season might not have started out too strong, but at the halfway point in the season things started to look up for Clark and the Indiana Fever

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