DALLAS — Caitlin Clark has captured the hearts of basketball fans across the country as she leads the Hawkeyes to the national championship game.
But with her meteoric rise to stardom, many people are asking: Why isn't Caitlin Clark going to the WNBA?
The short answer: She can't. At least not yet.
In order to qualify for the WNBA Draft, a player must have (or will have) turned 22 years old during the calendar year that the draft is held.
Clark recently celebrated her 21st birthday on Jan. 22, making her ineligible for this year's WNBA Draft.
In addition, since winter sport student-athletes have an extra year of NCAA eligibility, the player must have renounced her remaining intercollegiate eligibility to the WNBA by March 28, 2022.
Luckily for Hawkeye fans, this means Clark is likely to stick around a little longer. Clark won't be eligible for the WNBA Draft until 2024.
On "The Dan Patrick Show" in February, Clark made it clear she's aiming for the WNBA, but may not be ready to leave Iowa quite yet.
When asked by Patrick if she would seriously consider two more years in Iowa City, Clark said in part:
"Yeah. I don’t know. I think I just like love this place. I love getting to play in front of a sold out crowd every single night. I don’t know. I love college basketball. I don’t know. It would be hard to leave. I think what we’ve been able to build has been super special, too. But, more than anything, I love this program, I love getting to play for coach (Lisa) Bluder, I love getting to play with my best friends."
See more of what Clark had to say on the Dan Patrick Show below:
► Download the We Are Iowa app
► Sign up for Local 5's "5 Things to Know" email newsletter
► Subscribe to Local 5 News on YouTube