Caitlin Clark will be ‘backbone of a franchise’: Anonymous WNBA GMs scout guard

Caitlin Clark will headline the 2024 WNBA Draft, but she is far from the only impact guard who will make her way into the league. As the professional game modernizes, franchises are looking for more playmakers on the perimeter in an effort to improve the pace and spacing of their offenses. Clark is the most prolific and recognizable guard in this group, and she is joined by a deep class — including several international prospects — of shooters, pure points and combo guards who are eager to make their impact at the next level.

The draft is less than three weeks away, taking place April 15 in Brooklyn, N.Y., just eight days after the national championship. In anticipation of the event, eight WNBA general managers shared their candid opinions about the upcoming draft class with The Athletic before the NCAA Tournament. They were granted anonymity to allow them to speak openly. Thursday, we’ll run another installment that includes their unvarnished takes on frontcourt players such as Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese.

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WNBA Mock Draft: Where will Angel Reese land? Who will be picked after Caitlin Clark?

After the tournament, we’ll release our final mock draft and a GM scout of the potential picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

18.8 points per game (ppg), 6.8 assists per game (apg), 33.5 3-pt field goal percentage (3-pt fg%), 85.9 free-throw percentage (ft%)

• “I think most people will be willing to take on Amoore because she has a clear position of a one. Worst-case scenario, they may be able to turn her into a backup one, and being able to cement that position isn’t anything small in this league. A backup one who can stretch the floor is a nice piece to add to your team. She may be the safest pick of all of (Jacy Sheldon, Jaylyn Sherrod and Hailey Van Lith).”

• “Amoore’s question is size. The question is can she do some of the same things offensively in college that she would need to do in the pros? Because length bothers her on some of her pick-and-rolls. I think she knows how to run a team extremely well.”

• “She’s got that ability that I think the highest-level point guards have, where they know not just who needs the ball, it’s how to manipulate the defense to get them the ball in their best situations to be successful, and the best timing.”

Just @georgia_amoore things ????#MarchMadness x ???? ESPN 2 / @HokiesWBB pic.twitter.com/4p1yw8K8XY

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 22, 2024

Isobel Borlase | 5-11 guard | Adelaide Lightning (WNBL, Australia)

15.6 ppg, 4.7 rebounds per game (rpg), 2.5 apg, 1.8 steals per game (spg)

• “Borlase has a game that’s suited for Australia. I don’t know if it translates to our game.”

• “I think she does a really good job creating for herself. She can score in some ways that show that she has what I call the international maturity. You can tell that she’s been playing professional basketball. ……