Caitlin Clark Says Her 'Focus' Is with Iowa After Declaring for 2024 WNBA Draft

Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark has announced her intentions to declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, but the reigning consensus player of the year made clear that her "focus" is on the present with the Hawkeyes.

"Obviously, my focus is here," Clark told reporters Friday, per ESPN.com's Michael Voepel. "My goal is to win a national title, that's plain and simple. And to be honest, I'm not really looking that far ahead to the WNBA."

Clark announced her decision Thursday and explained why she publicized the call now:

"Getting the weight of the world off my shoulders and being able to enjoy this last month with my teammates is the biggest thing," Clark said. "I kind of knew in my heart. I've gone back and forth a little bit, especially early in the year.

"As the season played out, it became clearer to me. I kind of knew what was going to be the right step for me, and obviously I had a lot of support system around me, and my family and friends. I think everybody supported my decision, and that's reassuring."

Clark has averaged 32.2 points, 8.7 assists and 7.4 rebounds for the No. 6 Hawkeyes. The all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer (women or men) is hoping to guide Iowa to its first-ever basketball title after making the national championship last year before falling to LSU.

The senior has a fifth year of NCAA eligibility available due to the COVID-19 waiver, but ultimately, it appears all but certain that she'll be suiting up for the Indiana Fever, who own the WNBA draft's No. 1 pick, in a few months time.

For now, though, the Hawkeyes are well-positioned for a high seed in the NCAA tournament as they look to make another deep postseason run. The latest Her Hoops Stats projections have Iowa as a No. 2 seed.