🔴WNBA Rankings: How Will Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the Rookies Fare?🔴

WNBA Rankings: How Will Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and the Rookies Fare?
After a historic season in women's college basketball, this year's rookie class figures to make a major impact in the WNBA. Headlined by Caitlin Clark, there's an abundance of talent entering the league, and many players are entering rebuilding situations where they should be able to carve out production right away. Los Angeles and Chicago each had a pair of Top 7 picks this year, which should help as they attempt to offset offseason losses.
Those playing fantasy women's basketball this year can see how the rookies stack up against the rest of the league with RotoWire's WNBA Rankings and view in-depth WNBA Projections. After an eventful offseason, check out the WNBA Depth Charts to see what roles each player can expect in 2024.
Clark was the top overall pick in this year's draft and enters her rookie season as one of the most highly-touted players in recent memory following a dominant collegiate career. She broke multiple college basketball scoring records over her four seasons at Iowa, including the all-time NCAA Division I scoring and three-point records. Over her career, she averaged 28.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.1 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game.
Clark joins a Fever team that has had no shortage of young talent in recent years, as they drafted NaLyssa Smith at No. 2 in 2022 and Aliyah Boston at No. 1 last season. Clark will presumably face a learning curve during her first professional season and is unlikely to be featured as much as she was at the college level due to the talent around her. However, she has an opportunity to be a dominant fantasy contributor right away due to her scoring and passing skills, along with her ability to score from nearly anywhere on the floor. The Fever should give her plenty of opportunities to showcase her offensive abilities immediately.
Jason Shebilske: Clark is a driving force behind the increased interest in women's basketball and is sure to be a coveted player during fantasy drafts. Her upside is undeniable, and she's a worthy target starting late in the first round or early in the second round. She'll have to face tougher defenses in the WNBA that will likely focus on limiting her looks from the perimeter, but she's also a strong passer with plenty of reliable players around her. Even though she's a somewhat risky fantasy pick compared to some of the proven veterans also available in the early rounds, Clark has the talent to put her among the league's top fantasy contributors in her rookie season.
Kirien Sprecher: I think Clark may struggle to take care of the ball early in her professional career, but that's where my negativity ends with the superstar rookie. I expect her high-octane style to be on full display in Indiana, and she should instantly become the Fever's top offensive option. Many critics point to better competition as a reason for Clark to have some hiccups, but that goes both ways, as the Iowa product gets to share the floor with proven WNBA contributors in Kelsey Mitchell, Erica Wheeler, NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston. Veteran guards and a strong frontcourt should ease Clark's transition to pro ball, and I'm not hesitating to take Clark with one of the final first-round picks in RotoWire's upcoming WNBA Fantasy Draft.