Draft Day, then Moving Day

The GIST: As you read, the Indiana Fever won the Caitlin Clark lottery at Monday night’s historic WNBA Draft, which saw 30 NCAAers turn pro. With league enthusiasm (and lewks) at an all-time high, what comes next for the W’s newbies (besides upcoming final exams and graduation, of course)?

The timeline: With just 27 days until the W season starts, the draftees have only a week and a half to haul ass to their new home cities before training camps open on April 28th. Since there are only 144 WNBA roster spots, these camps are cutthroat tryouts — only about half the drafted players will make opening day rosters when the season tips off on May 14th.

Training camp rivals: The rookie vs. rookie competition can be fierce in the battle for a roster spot. Case in point? Former SEC rivals and new Chicago Sky teammates Kamilla Cardoso (South Carolina) and Angel Reese (LSU) play similar positions, meaning they could be each other’s biggest competition. At least they already know how to go at it.

• The NY Liberty drafted four players, but with their stacked roster, they likely have only one or two available spots. In other words, first-rounder Marquesha Davis (Ole Miss) and three others are about to enter a four-woman Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in their favor.

New teammate dynamics: Assuming they all survive preseason, rookies face a massive transition ahead, and some will have to learn to play nice with former college foes, like Cardoso and Reese. Similarly, Clark and new Fever teammate Celeste Taylor, also a point guard, will have to bury their Iowa–Ohio State blood rivalry.

• Expect others to make big changes from their college game. For instance, after five seasons as UCLA’s go-to guard, Phoenix Mercury rookie Charisma Osborne will likely have to adapt to avoid being cut as she goes up against one of the best to ever do it, Diana Taurasi.

The GIST: Pack your leo and head to Fort Worth, TX, because both national championship semifinals will hit the mat tomorrow. The top two squads from each four-team semi will flip on to Saturday’s final meet. Your Thursday night plans? ESPN2 and chill.

The matchups: The 4:30 p.m. ET semi features two powerhouses, No. 2–seed LSU and No. 3 Cal, plus the only two squads to make nationals over higher-ranked opponents, No. 10 Arkansas and unseeded Stanford. Stanford’s regional upset was particularly stunning, so all eyes will be on the Cardinal to see if they’ll continue to stick it to the seeding system.

• Defending champ No. 1 Oklahoma is favored in the 9 p.m. ET semi, but the competition might be closer than you think: The Sooners scored a 198.400 in the regional final, while No. 4 Florida advanced with a 198.325. No. 5 Utah and No. 8 Alabama are just hoping to keep up.

The individual qualifiers: Four all-arounders and 16 event specialists from non-qualifying schools will also compete as individuals alongside the eight teams mentioned above, hoping to advance for a shot at a solo national title. Of these contenders, Oregon State’s Olympic gold medalist (and Paris 2024 hopeful) Jade Carey looks particularly dangerous in the all-around competition.

• Kentucky’s Raena Worley is also a favorite to take home some hardware — she’s competing for the title on floor, an event in which she’s already scored four perfect 10s this season. Time to make it Raen(a).

🏐 Men’s volleyball: MPSF Championship — Today through Saturday — FloVolleyball

• Reigning national champ and OG dynasty No. 1 UCLA has only one conference loss this season, but with four other Top-10 squads in the MPSF and a surprising wave of parity rocking the boat league-wide, the Bruins better watch their backs.

🎾 Women’s tennis: Big 12 Championship — Today through Saturday — Live stats here

• With their strongest roster in years, host Oklahoma State hasn’t dropped a matchup all season and has held the country’s No. 1 spot since Valentine’s Day. Is their program’s first natty within reach? The conference tournament should be an excellent test.

🎾 Men’s tennis: SEC Championship — Today through Sunday — Live video here

• First, Ole Miss and host LSU will face off in today’s 1 p.m. ET play-in match, and then the real action starts: A field crowded with eight nationally ranked teams — led by No. 4 Kentucky and No. 6 Tennessee — will take the court tomorrow.

⛳ Women’s golf: ACC Championship — Tomorrow through Sunday — ACCNX, live results here

• Reigning national champ No. 3 Wake Forest’s campaign to repeat begins here. Their top challengers? Powerhouse No. 8 Duke and No. 18 Florida State, who’s still riding high from sophomore Lottie Woad’s win at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on April 6th.

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