by Michael Voepel
A big part of getting a good grade on WNBA draft night is often in place months before, when the lottery order is decided. In the case of the 2024 draft, the Indiana Fever really couldn’t mess it up after they got the first pick: Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark would give them an A-plus.
As was the case last season when the Fever also picked No. 1 and got South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, it was all smiles at Indiana headquarters on draft night. Not just because Clark was officially in the fold and coach Christie Sides could already envision her passing the ball inside to Boston, last year’s WNBA Rookie of the Year, and NaLyssa Smith, the No. 2 pick in 2022, over and over and over.
But also because the Fever now have two of the greatest 3-point shooters in college hoops history. Clark is the NCAA record holder, having finished with 548 treys. Kelsey Mitchell, the No. 2 pick in 2018, had 497 3-pointers at Ohio State.
Between them, they compiled 7,353 points in college as the top two scorers in Big Ten history. Clark is the No. 1 scorer all time in men’s and women’s Division I.
“My heart is pounding really hard right now,” Sides said when talking about having two perimeter scorers the caliber of Clark and Mitchell on the same team along with the young post players. “It’s a coach’s dream.”
But the Fever aren’t ESPN’s only A-plus team on draft night. The Los Angeles Sparks, in need of two impact players right away, got them in Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.
If you are looking for “bad” grades, we don’t have them this year. In some past seasons, eyebrows were raised starting early in the first round. But on Monday, teams seemed to make the most of their places in the draft and the talent available. Some teams took bigger chances, especially with young talent from overseas. Some opted for specific needs and potentially bypassed a player whom they might regret not taking.
All that said, so much can happen with injuries, team chemistry and how players adjust to the being pros. But through Monday’s draft, here are the grades. 
Indiana Fever: A-plus
Picks:
1. Caitlin Clark, Iowa, PG
15. Celeste Taylor, Ohio State, PG
27. Leilani Correa, Florida, SG
No franchise needed the excitement Clark brings more than Indiana, which hasn’t made the WNBA playoffs since 2016. Both Sides and general manager Lin Dunn said they are eager for Clark to meet all her teammates and have her personality impact the team and the community. They also said she is more than ready for what’s ahead of her on the court.
“I hoping she’s going to go home and get some rest for a little while. She’s just been on the go,” Sides said. “But I can’t wait to get her in the locker room with our players. They can get to know her, know she’s a fierce competitor. These guys see all the articles written and things on social media. They don’t know her yet. I’m ready for that day.”
In Taylor, the Fever drafted a player who knows Clark from their matchups in the Big Ten this season. Taylor played five seasons in college, at Texas, Duke and Ohio State. Her defense could help her stick on this roster.
Correa is another guard with good size and skill. But it’s a numbers game, and she might not make the roster.
Originally posted on espn.com