Rating the Top 10 Picks From the Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese 2024 WNBA Draft
The 2024 WNBA Draft class was not only the most star-studded in league history, but many believed it was the most talented to ever grace the WNBA.
That draft was over two years ago. And while every player taken in that draft still has a whole career ahead of them, there has been enough data and evidence to gauge how each player has performed to this point.
Therefore, we've decided to rate the first 10 picks in that 2024 WNBA Draft into three tiers: Met/Exceeded Expectations, Passable, and Disappointment. Of course, this is a subjective list, and opinions may vary. The rating will be relative to where the player was selected in the draft (for example, No. 1 overall is rated differently than No. 10).
With that being said, let's get into it.
Tier 1: Met/Exceeded Expectations
Caitlin Clark: No. 1 overall, Indiana Fever
Clark being in the top tier of this WNBA Draft class should not come as a surprise. While perhaps there's a case to be made that nobody could meet or exceed the astronomical expectations placed upon No. 22 when she entered the league, the bottom line is that what she has done on the court so far has more than justified the Fever taking her at No. 1 overall in this draft.
Clark finished fourth in MVP voting as a rookie and appears to be re-finding her form in Indiana after she missed most of last season with an injury. Anybody who could have tried to take her off this top ranking would not have been doing so objectively.
CAITLIN CLARK FROM 30 IN THE CLUTCH OMGGGGG pic.twitter.com/7xVnmcoonC
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) June 9, 2026
Rickea Jackson: No. 4 overall, Los Angeles Sparks (now on Chicago Sky)
Unfortunately, Rickea Jackson will be missing the rest of the 2026 season after she tore her ACL. But Jackson showed enough not only with the Sky this season, but in her first two WNBA seasons with the Sparks, to justify her placement on this top tier.
While Jackson isn't the most efficient scorer, she can create her shot at three different levels, which opens up her team's offense. And there she was making a case to be a top-five scorer in the league before her injury. Plus, she's an above-average defender and does many things well.
Jackson deserves to be in the top tier of this 2024 WNBA Draft class. Expect her to prove that once she returns next year.
Angel Reese: No. 7 overall, Chicago Sky (now on Atlanta Dream)
Just with Caitlin Clark, anybody trying to deny that Angel Reese deserves to be in the top tier of this draft class is flat-out hating.
Reese is already the league's best rebounder and is on track to be the best rebounder in women's basketball history. That alone justifies her place on this tier. While Reese isn't a perfect player and still has holes in her game, so does every other player in the world. Reese's are just magnified because of her platform.
Expect Angel to be a perennial All-Star and double-double threat for the next decade. Plus, many were convinced she wouldn't cut it in the WNBA at all before she was drafted. She proved any doubters wrong.
Carla Leite: No. 9 overall, Dallas Wings (now on Portland Fire)
Quite frankly, Carla Leite would not have been on this list before the 2026 season began. She didn't play for the Wings after they drafted her, but was taken by the Golden State Valkyries in their 2024 expansion draft.
Leite was decent for Golden State, then the Portland Fire took her in this year's expansion draft. She has found a home in Portland, being a breakout player for the Fire and one of the biggest surprises in the sport. She's currently averaging 14 points and 5 assists per game while orchestrating the Fire's offense.
Major props to Leite, who took the long road to her top-tier spot on this list.
Carla Leite tonight 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 26, 2026
• 18 points
• 2 assists
• 8/14 FG
• 22 minutes played pic.twitter.com/wux3hEuzl5
Laila Lacan: No. 10 overall, Connecticut Sun
Admittedly, when this writer crafted their initial tier rating on social media earlier in the day, they didn't have guard Laila Lacan in this tier.
But some compelling comments from fans have influenced this decision, and now added her to this tier. While Lacan has regressed a bit during her 2026 season compared to 2025 (although she has missed time with an injury), Lacan showed enough on an otherwise abysmal Sun squad last season to confidently say she has exceeded expectations.
But she'll need to re-find her form this year if she's to keep her spot in this top tier.
Tier 2: Passable
Kamilla Cardoso: No. 3 overall, Chicago Sky
Now on to the second tier of our list: passable. For players on this tier, they've shown glimpses of success but haven't sustained it, at least relative to where they were drafted.
And there's actually just one player on this list: Kamilla Cardoso. She has proved to be at least a capable center in the WNBA. But frankly, fans expected more out of her this season after Angel Reese left the team, because of how it opened up the paint for her. But Cardoso is actually averaging fewer points this season than last year.
Since there are high expectations with being the No. 3 pick in such a talented class, Cardoso hasn't met those expectations. But she also hasn't struggled enough to deem her a disappointment. Not yet, at least.
KAMILLA 😱
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 9, 2026
After this and-1, Cardoso is now up to 11 points and 5/5 FG in the 2Q!
ATL-CHI | ESPN | 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup presented by @coinbase
Tap to watch: https://t.co/iVkvRiDnwr pic.twitter.com/AKjVgt47US
Tier 3: Disappointment
Cameron Brink: No. 2 overall, Los Angeles Sparks
We're now on to our bottom tier, which consists of players who have disappointed relative to where in the draft they were taken.
Brink has to go in this tier. While she essentially lost her rookie season after tearing her ACL, she has been fully healthy for a long time and, frankly, is not living up to the expectations she had when entering the league. She's constantly in foul trouble, isn't protecting the rim as she did in college and in her rookie year, and can't find a steady offensive role with the Sparks, who could really use her to assert herself.
The ship has not sailed on Brink's WNBA career quite yet. But it feels like the voyage is nearing.
Jacy Sheldon: No. 5 overall, Dallas Wings (now Chicago Sky)
The rest of this tier should not be surprising. Frankly, Jady Sheldon has not performed in her WNBA tenure.
She has been adequate as a backup point guard, but because she was the fifth pick and her most noteworthy moment is poking Caitlin Clark in the eye last year, her pro career has been underwhelming thus far.
The Sky also surrendered a first-round pick to acquire her, and that has yet to pan out either.
Aaliyah Edwards: No. 6 overall, Washington Mystics
Expectations were high for Aaliyah Edwards after her successful career at UConn. But she has frankly not stood out at all during her time with the Washington Mystics.
Some of this is owed to her constant injuries, but she also hasn't been impactful or shown any development in her game. This looms especially large because the Mystics could have taken Angel Reese, who is from the same region.
Edwards is currently playing less than 20 minutes per game for the Sun, who hold the worst record in the league.
Alyssa Pili: No. 8 overall, Minnesota Lynx (no longer in WNBA)
Alyssa Pili is currently playing for the Geelong Venom of the Women's National Basketball League in Australia. So it's safe to say that selection did not work out.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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