"Des Moines Iowa baby": Caitlin Clark and other Big Ten players and coaches suggest where WNBA should expand next

By Sean Cavanaugh

Modified Apr 15, 2024 18:51 GMT

Caitlin Clark is likely going to the Indiana Fever as she begins her WNBA career. The Iowa Hawkeyes standout is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft on Monday night. However, Clark is already eyeing playing in a nearby Midwestern state—well, maybe in her dreams.

Clark and her fellow Big Ten women’s basketball players entering the draft were asked where the WNBA should expand and add a new franchise. Clark, of course, gave a big shoutout to her hometown, suggesting the league expand in her backyard.

“Des Moines, Iowa, baby,” Caitlin Clark said.

Clark was not the only player with some hometown bias, as a wide array of cities were suggested. Plenty of players recommended their hometowns or an expansion team in a big city near their college town.

Caitlin Clark’s Iowa teammates also suggested Des Moines, with Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder agreeing. Plenty of the women from Nebraska suggested Omaha as a potential expansion city.

Players and coaches from Michigan State said the WNBA should bring a team back to Detroit. The league used to have the Detroit Shock before they were moved to Tulsa and now Dallas.

The suggestions did not stop there. Some said the site of this year’s Women’s Final Four, Cleveland, should get a team. The WNBA used to have the Cleveland Rockers there.

Others suggested Nashville, Tennessee or New Jersey. One wanted Denver, Colorado, while Columbus, Ohio, also got one vote.

Multiple players suggested the WNBA return to their home state of North Carolina. The basketball-crazed state used to have the Charlotte Sting before they were folded in 2006.

Florida got a lot of love, as several players and coaches said the league needed to return to Orlando or Miami. The Orlando Miracle played until 2002 before moving to become the Connecticut Sun. The Miami Sol were folded in 2002.

Philadelphia also received multiple votes. The large city has never had a WNBA team. Others said the league should move up north to Milwaukee or across the border to Toronto.

San Antonio, Utah, Houston, Portland and Sacramento also used to have WNBA teams. The league is expanding to 13 teams in 2025, with a franchise in San Francisco.

When will Caitlin Clark be drafted?

Caitlin Clark is expected to be drafted first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday. She will likely go to the Indiana Fever.

She was the biggest star the college game had seen in years and set the all-time scoring record in Division I. She is one of the most hyped prospects in WNBA history.

The two-time national player of the year headlines a loaded class. Her shooting range and style changed the game, and she will now try to bring that same excellence to the pro level.