Caitlin Clark will not make an announcement about her future until the end of the current season. She may decide to return to Iowa for a fifth and final season of college basketball. She may turn pro.

Caitlin Clark wears Prada outfit at 2024 WNBA draft

Her decision will change the entire landscape of the 2024 WNBA Draft either way. It will be interesting to see how other athletes in similar positions approach the process while waiting for Clark to declare her intentions.

Michael Voepel of ESPN released his updated mock draft on Thursday. Four of the top five picks could look completely different if the Hawkeyes are able to retain their superstar point guard.

Assuming that Caitlin Clark declares for the draft pool as expected, she will go No. 1 overall. There is no doubt about it. Everything else is up in the air.

    Indiana Fever — Caitlin Clark
    Los Angeles Sparks — Cameron Brink

    Phoenix Mercury — Paige Bueckers
    Seattle Storm — Kamilla Cardoso
    Dallas Wings — Rickea Jackson
    Washington Mystics — Aaliyah Edwards
    Minnesota Lynx — Alissa Pili
    Atlanta Dream — Angel Reese
    Dallas Wings — Georgia Amoore
    Connecticut Sun — Nyadiew Puoch

Amoore, Reese, Edwards, Cardoso, Bueckers, Brink and Clark could all choose to play another year on the collegiate level. That’s 70% of the top 10.

And one major decision could cause quite a few dominoes to fall.

If Clark decides to return to Iowa, it would elevate Brink to the top prospect position for this year’s draft. However, her playing style might not seamlessly fit into the Fever’s lineup like Clark’s does. This could prompt speculation about whether another team would be willing to trade up to secure Brink as the No. 1 pick.

In the scenario where Clark doesn’t pursue a professional career, Bueckers would emerge as the top guard in this year’s draft class. Despite having two years of eligibility remaining at UConn, she might consider turning pro if there’s a chance to be selected as the No. 1 pick.

Cardoso, a towering 6-foot-7 center, finds herself in a similar situation. If both Clark and Bueckers opt to stay in college, the top two prospects would be bigs. In such a case, if Brink returns to Stanford, Cardoso would likely become the top overall prospect. This opportunity might be hard to resist for her, even if it means foregoing another season at South Carolina.

The uncertainty extends to players like Edwards and Reese as well. LSU’s standout forward, Reese, stands to improve her draft stock significantly if Clark and others remain in college. She might be inclined to spend another year in Baton Rouge to bolster her chances of securing a top-five selection.

Overall, there’s a considerable amount of uncertainty surrounding the top 10 picks in the upcoming WNBA Draft. While we know which teams will be selecting in which order, the availability of players remains uncertain.

Clark’s decision could potentially reshape the entire outlook for the first round of the draft.