Picking carefully: Some WNBA team will be Clark’s biggest rival, why not the Sky?
The women's college basketball season carried plenty of 1979 vibes.
That was the year when two stars on the men's side, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, met in a heavily viewed title game, then took their rivalry to the NBA, quickly becoming the league's two biggest draws.
The situation in the women's game is a little different, with Iowa's Caitlin Clark as the standout star and several other recognizable names available in Monday's WNBA Draft.
Clark is headed for the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 pick and there's surely nothing any team could offer in a trade to change that.
So what should the Sky do with the third and eighth picks in the first round? Well, just think about how the sports world works.
Some team will become Clark's biggest rival. Why not Chicago?
The Sky might as well lean into the popular storyline and make sure it lands LSU forward Angel Reese on Monday. She'd be a legit pick at No. 3, but ESPN published a mock draft this week with the Sky landing Reese with the eighth pick and taking 6-foot-7 South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso at No. 3.
That would be a dream scenario, two players who vanquished Clark's Hawkeyes in the last two NCAA title games.
Maybe you're thinking: “I'm a huge fan of Clark. No way I could root against her.”
Well, remember the greatest Chicago-born basketball player became one of the biggest opposing-team villains with Isiah Thomas and the “Bad Boy” Pistons. Sports fans can figure it out.
One of the goals for women's basketball is to pass the record television ratings from Iowa's NCAA games to Clark and the Fever. The Sky and Indiana are already slated for a CBS telecast on June 16 in Indianapolis.
A week later, those teams will meet at Wintrust Arena. Imagine Kim Mulkey sitting courtside in a sparkly outfit to watch a Reese rematch with Clark. How about Mulkey sitting next to ex-LSU star Shaquille O'Neal — too much to ask?
Nothing could be better for the WNBA than stars willing to step forward and promote themselves. Clark and Reese have already done that at the college level. Throw in the past drama from the LSU-Iowa games and the ratings potential is obvious.
Recognizable stars sell tickets, that's what made the NBA popular. Bird and Magic got the ball rolling, then obviously Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and others took it another level. Too many of the WNBA's best players have been prickly with the media and shied away from attention. This season could be the start of a significant change.
Obviously, the Sky's draft day haul will depend on other teams. The Los Angeles Sparks own picks Nos. 2 and 4. Cardoso could go second. So could Stanford's 6-4 center Cameron Brink.
Another likely top-five selection is Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson, who has similarities to Kahleah Copper, the former Sky star traded to Phoenix for that No. 3 draft pick. The 6-2 Detroit native averaged 20.2 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Vols this season.
Some others to watch are UConn's Aaliyah Edwards, sort of a smaller, more mobile version of Cardoso. Ohio State's Jacy Sheldon is a high-energy guard and arguably the second-best player in the Big Ten.
Barring an injury, Clark will dominate the headlines and airwaves this season. The Sky shouldn't miss the chance to hop on that train, even if it means being the less-popular archrival.
Twitter: @McGrawDHSports