Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and the W.N.B.A.’s Talent Conundrum

There’s also the issue of travel, which has been a hot-button topic in the W.N.B.A. Most major college basketball programs fly in charter planes. W.N.B.A. players fly commercial.

“A lot of players are trying to save for their fifth years,” Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. “They understand the opportunities they have in college and that it’s really, really competitive in the league and, potentially, you’re going to be going overseas.”

Clark and Reese will be eligible for the W.N.B.A. draft next year. Bueckers, who is out this year with a knee injury, and Brink, whose Stanford team lost in the second round of this year’s tournament, are eligible now but have each said they will return for another year of college. Each of those four players will have played in a national championship game, and will be among the top picks in the draft whenever they decide to go. But many of the teammates who helped get them there won’t carry the same cachet.

Czinano, the Iowa center, had 18 points and 3 rebounds in Friday’s game against South Carolina and has been a vital component of Clark’s success. She could have left for the W.N.B.A. after last season but didn’t, and is projected by most experts to be a late second- or third-round pick in this year’s draft, coming up on April 10. Now she’ll declare for the draft with a championship game — and maybe a title — under her belt.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/sports/ncaabasketball/womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-angel-reese.html