BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Caitlin Clark sat on the Brooklyn Academy of Music stage with a knowing smile at the start of the 2024 WNBA draft, listening to the ESPN studio crew talk about her just yards away.

While the crew set up near the back of the audience, their analysis piped through the theater, allowing fans and draftees alike to listen to their analysis.

The crew, composed of Andraya Carter, Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo opened their coverage with the Iowa superstar’s accomplishments: two-time National Player of the Year, three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. On top of that, she helped Iowa to up its attendance by 81% between the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons.

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DOYEL: Elvis, The Beatles and Caitlin Clark. Fever party just getting started.

As Carter acknowledged she could hear them — “she also has to sit there like she can’t hear us talking about her, and she’s handling it wonderfully” — she looked up to the camera across the table from her and smiled.

Just a few minutes later, as WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert walked up to the stage to announce the top pick, and everything hit her — she was officially going to achieve her dream of being a WNBA player.

“I feel like this was definitely a little bit more emotional for me,” Clark said in her post-draft news conference. “I think that's because when you're in the heat of competition, you don't have time to really feel your emotions. You're so competitive and you're so fiery, you're not really worried about all that … But when you're kind of just sitting at a table waiting for your name to be called, I think that really allows the emotions to feed you and you're with your family.”

Then, it all fell into place as her name was called first overall to the Indiana Fever — a team (and location) she fits in perfectly.

She knew where she was going to go. She knew it from the moment she declared for the draft on Feb. 29.

She showed signs of knowing where she would land professionally — she came up with a joke that involved the Indiana Fever on 'Saturday Night Live,' and commented ‘Indy takeover’ on former Iowa men’s basketball player Patrick McCaffery’s commitment post to Butler.

Clark, while staying in the Midwest, already has a support system in place in Indianapolis — Patrick McCaffery is the younger brother of Connor McCaffery, Clark’s boyfriend and a team assistant for the Indiana Pacers.

“It’s great, obviously it makes the transition a little bit easier,” Clark told IndyStar. “You’ve got people that know the city, and obviously Connor being there is tremendous. I couldn’t imagine a better place to start my professional career.”

Of course, Indiana is not just a location fit for the generational guard. She will slot perfectly into the Fever’s starting lineup.

Indiana was 11th of the 12 teams in the league in assist rate, averaging 18 per game. Clark, who said her greatest strength heading into the league was her passing, will help to facilitate a strong frontcourt in Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith.

Clark finished her college career third all-time with 1,144 assists — an average of 8.2 per game.

“I think everyone has just been able to see what Caitlin does on the court,” Boston said ahead of the draft. “... To play with her, I think it will just open up the floor a lot because of her ability to pass the ball. She takes deep shots, but something that always stands out to me is her ability to see. I mean, when you look at how she passes the ball, she leads you, so you don’t have to worry about where the defense is.”

Clark won’t be the only star-studded player on Indiana’s roster, either. Boston was the 2022 National Player of the Year and the 2023 No. 1 draft pick, all-star and unanimous Rookie of the Year.

The Iowa star has experience with strong post players, with former teammates including two-time NCAA shooting-percentage leader Monika Czinano and Hannah Stuelke. And Clark and Boston together will be a lethal pick-and-roll combo.

“To me, (Boston is) one of the best players in the entire country, entire world,” Clark told IndyStar. “As a point guard, you want to play with really good post players. Lucky enough, I had Monika Czinano, I had Hannah Stuelke, now getting to play with Aliyah, it’s the best of the best. You can’t script it any better.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever perfect fit for Caitlin Clark, both in location and team