Iowa basketball standout Caitlin Clark has announced her decision to declare for the 2024 WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) draft. Despite having one game remaining in the regular-season schedule, Clark made the surprising announcement after recently breaking the NCAA women's scoring record.

In a social media post, Clark expressed her excitement about entering the upcoming WNBA draft. She mentioned that while the current season is far from over and there are still more goals to achieve, it will be her last one at Iowa. The talented player's decision comes as she aims to pursue her professional career at the age of 22 years old.

The Indiana Fever, who hold the No. 1 pick in April's draft for the second consecutive season, will likely welcome Clark to their roster. Clark is expected to join forces with Aliyah Boston, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft and subsequently won the Rookie of the Year award. This dynamic duo is set to anchor a promising young core in Indiana.

Forgoing her remaining eligibility, Clark will leave after her fourth NCAA season. Although she could have played one more season due to the NCAA granting an additional year of eligibility to players from the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, Clark decided to turn professional.

Before her departure, Clark is determined to lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to an NCAA championship, the only missing achievement on her remarkable college résumé. In her junior year, Clark was named the consensus National Player of the Year while guiding the Hawkeyes to the national championship game, where they lost to LSU.

This season, Clark is once again a favorite to sweep national individual honors. She recently surpassed Kelsey Plum as the NCAA women's all-time scoring leader, breaking Plum's record of 3,527 points. Clark achieved this feat during a standout performance, scoring a career-high 49 points in a victory over Michigan on February 16.

Currently averaging an impressive 32.2 points and 8.7 assists per game, along with 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals, Clark has been a key contributor to Iowa's success. Additionally, she boasts a shooting percentage of 46.9 from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc, attempting 13.6 three-pointers per game.

Clark's exceptional scoring abilities have put her within reach of surpassing the legendary Pete Maravich, who holds the NCAA scoring record for both men and women with 3,667 points. Clark is only 18 points away from reaching that milestone and has the opportunity to achieve it in Iowa's regular-season finale against the Ohio State Buckeyes this Sunday.

With the Hawkeyes ranked sixth and the Buckeyes holding the #2 spot, Sunday's game will not only have significant implications for NCAA tournament seeding but also provide Clark with the chance to further solidify her legacy as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time.

As the journey continues for Caitlin Clark, basketball fans eagerly await her entry into the WNBA, where her phenomenal skills and record-breaking performances are sure to leave a lasting impact.