SEATTLE - A historic night for Latin America came to an end with four Latinas selected in this year's WNBA Draft. In one of the most talented classes in recent memory, Caitlin Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever as she pursues greatness at the pro level.
Two picks later, the first Latina came off the board as the Chicago Sky selected Brazilian Camilla Cardoso with the No.3 pick in the draft.
The 6-foot-7 senior out of Montes Claros, Brazil, was one of the key members of a South Carolina team that finished the season undefeated (37-0.) Cardoso almost averaged a double-double, accounting for 14 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, stats that earned her the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year award as well as a spot in the All-SEC first-team.
During the NCAA Tournament, the Brazilian center amassed a double-double in each round, including a big game in the championship game against Iowa with 15 points and a game-leading 17 rebounds, earning her the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament award.
Success didn't come easy for Cardoso: she had to leave her family behind as a 15-year-old to pursue her dream of playing high-level basketball in the United States.
"I got really emotional because the main goal was to get here and be able to give my family a better life."
— Julia Westerman (@JuliaWesterman) April 16, 2024
Kamilla Cardoso felt all the feelings of achieving a lifelong dream. She's now a member of the @chicagosky 💙 pic.twitter.com/UAtJ0ibKb7
But she wasn't the only Latina to hear her name called out on April 15. Celeste Taylor will be Caitlin Clark's teammate in Indiana, after the Fever selected the two-way guard from Ohio State with the 15th overall pick in the draft.
Taylor, of Colombian and Puerto Rican descent, spent her last season at the collegiate level with the Ohio State Buckeyes, helping the team to a Big Ten regular season title and a run to the NCAA Tournament.
Not only was Taylor an offensive weapon for the Buckeyes, but her efforts in the defensive end earned her a place in the Big Ten All-Defensive Team last season.
Clark and Taylor weren't the only ones selected by the Indiana Fever during the draft. The Fever added another Latina to their ranks when they selected Florida's dynamic guard Leilani Correa with the 27th pick.
Correa is coming off a fantastic season with the Gators, winning this year's SEC Sixth Woman of the Year award, after leading the conference in scoring with an average of 21.4 points per game.
Correa, of Puerto Rican descent, holds the record for most career points in Florida basketball history (men's and women's), finishing her collegiate career with a combined 2,132 points. She finished the campaign with 27 games in double-figures and had three consecutive games scoring 30 or more points.
📍WNBA
— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) April 16, 2024
Continuing to make a name for herself🥹@leilani_anais | #WNBADraft pic.twitter.com/fb5p68YM7Y
Last but not least, the New York Liberty added a Latina to their roster when they selected Esmery Martínez with the 17th overall pick. Martínez became the first Dominican-born player to be drafted in WNBA history.
Martínez spent the last two seasons with the Arizona Wildcats, becoming a key player for the team in both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 11.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 2.0 SPG last season while earning an honorable mention in the All-Pac12 Team.
She scored in double-figures in 18 of her 33 games last year while helping Arizona reach the NCAA Tournament.
Welcome to NYC @martinez_smeri 🙌 #LIGHTITUPNYL🗽 pic.twitter.com/3tOmJLL6JF
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) April 16, 2024
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