Caitlin Clark will make her long-awaited regular-season WNBA debut Tuesday when she faces the Connecticut Sun (7:30 p.m. EST on ESPN 2).
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Clark’s decorated college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes included breaking the all-time Division I scoring record, two trips to the national championship game and two Naismith Player of the Year awards.
An hour after the Fever selected Clark at No. 1 in April’s WNBA draft, Vivid Seats traffic for the Fever’s page spiked by 62%, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The increased attention is reminiscent of other prospects who had similar hype heading into their professional debut.
Here’s a look back at some notable debuts since 2000.
WNBA
Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks, 2008
Stats: 34 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals
After leading the Tennessee Lady Volunteers to two straight national championships, Parker’s stock was high heading into the 2008 WNBA draft. The Sparks selected Parker at No. 1, a day after she won a national title.
The Sparks’ selection immediately paid dividends. Parker had 34 points, the most by a rookie in their WNBA debut, shooting 63% from the field.
Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury, 2004
Stats: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block
There wasn’t much Taurasi didn’t do with the UConn Huskies. Taurasi won three national championships, two Naismith and Big East Player of the Year awards and the 2002-03 AP Player of the Year award.
The Mercury selected her at No. 1 in the 2004 WNBA draft. Though Taurasi posted a solid stat line in her debut, she would go on to foul out in a loss.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty, 2020
Stats: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
Ionescu’s four-year career with the Oregon Ducks made her the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. The Liberty selected her at No. 1 and Ionescu struggled in her first outing.
She had 12 points on just 23.5% shooting from the field in a 16-point loss. Ionescu played only three games her rookie…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/40122752/most-hyped-professional-sports-debuts
Author : ESPN staff
Publish date : 2024-05-14 14:41:11
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