Clark didn't want to join one team...
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Caitlin Clark Names WNBA Team She Didn’t Want To Play For originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Caitlin Clark will miss her 20th regular season game, and 21st overall, as the Indiana Fever host the Chicago Sky on Saturday evening. It marks the first time she has sat for multiple games during her college or WNBA career, having played every game with the Iowa Hawkeyes and throughout her rookie season.
Clark was selected by the Fever with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft after they won the draft lottery. Indiana had the best odds of winning the top selection in 2024 at 44.2%, followed by the Phoenix Mercury at 27.6% and the Los Angeles Sparks at 17.8%.
Clark revealed on Friday that there was one team she hoped wouldn’t land the No. 1 pick.
Clark Discusses Joining The Fever With Sue Bird
In the most recent episode of the "Bird's Eye View" podcast, hosted by WNBA legend Sue Bird, Clark joined in to discuss her injuries and basketball career. When asked about the 2024 draft, Clark made it known that she didn't want to play for the Sparks, who ended up selecting Cameron Brink with the No. 2 pick.
"I didn't want to go to LA, but I wanted Indiana to get the first pick," Clark said. "I think Indiana was a good spot for me to start my professional career."
Bird proceeded to ask Clark why she wanted to join the Fever, crediting teammates such as Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull.
"I'm a Midwest gal," Clark added. "I think the franchise was in a place of having the type of core players that could help make me successful, too. Like, we have AB. Kels was here. Lex was here. And I think that was really attractive... So I knew for a while, and I didn't really tell anyone."
Caitlin on the draft lottery/declaring for the draft
— Jess (@FeverBandwagon) August 9, 2025
“I didn’t want to go to LA. 🙄 I wanted Indiana to get the first pick.” pic.twitter.com/CK9c3vVZfb
Why Not The Sparks?
While Clark didn't give a specific reason for not wanting to go to Los Angeles, she did mention that the Fever's roster was a big factor in wanting to join Indianapolis. But what about the Sparks' roster?
Los Angeles ended the 2023 WNBA season with a 17-23 record, led by its lone All-Star, Nneka Ogwumike. However, Ogwumike departed for the Seattle Storm ahead of the 2024 WNBA Draft, leaving the Sparks with players such as Dearica Hamby, Odyssey Sims and Azura Stevens. Even Aari McDonald, Clark's current Fever teammate, was in the Sparks' rotation.
Hamby even went on to become an All-Star and a part of Team USA's 3x3 women's basketball team during the 2024 Paris Olympics
Keep in mind, this excludes Kelsey Plum, as she was not with the Sparks at the time. Rickea Jackson was also part of the 2024 draft.
Related: Sophie Cunningham Makes Clear Choice Between Caitlin Clark, Diana Taurasi
Caitlin Clark Names WNBA Team She Didn’t Want To Play For first appeared on Athlon Sports on Aug 9, 2025
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
