March Madness turns to April Excitement as many of the top collegiate players in the nation move on to the professional ranks. Will Angel Reese be amongst them?
With the upcoming WNBA Draft on Monday April 15, Caitlin Clark is widely expected to be taken first overall. The Indiana Fever have that top pick, and it would be rather surprising if Clark’s name wasn’t called once the night begins.
Angel Reese, Clark’s on-court rival — and fellow Panini cards-sponsored athlete — has contemplated returning to LSU for her fifth year.
Reese already makes over a million dollars thanks to sponsorship deals, but the WNBA rookie contract is just $76,000 a year, which would barely make a difference in Reese’s income.
Of course, playing in the pros would still be monetarily beneficial, but not by the base WNBA salary. Reese will likely have money continuing to pour in from companies interested in having her represent their respective products, and if she’s in the pros, despite the enormous popularity of women’s college basketball, it will likely only add to her wallet.
It’s also worth noting that the WNBA season is fairly short, roughly about four months, which makes it one of the only sports which the length of the pro season is not longer than the collegiate version.
Reese recently told Vogue, “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten (SEC) Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro—and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever.”
She followed up on that interview by making it clear that she is indeed turning pro this year.
As a result, Reese is projected to be taken by the Dallas Wings in the fifth overall pick in the WNBA Draft, though some believe she will taken a pick or two later.
This also means that we could see her on-court rivalry with Caitlin Clark make sports headlines this summer as both will be highly-regarded rookies in the WNBA.