The 2024 WNBA Draft was held on Monday night (April 15) and a handful of Latina college basketball players were chosen to continue their careers in the professional ranks.
The three teams in the WNBA that will be welcoming Latina players to their roster this season are the Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, and New York Liberty. Here is a look at all four players who were chosen for their talent on the hardwood.
The 2024 WNBA season begins May 14, 2024.
1
Kamilla Cardoso
The Brazilian basketball player was drafted by the Chicago Sky at No. 3 in the First Round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. Cardoso stock was at an all-time high after leading South Carolina to a National Championship during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament earlier this month. The Gamecocks also ended their season with a perfect 38-0 record.
Now, Cardoso will bring her defense to Chicago, where the Sky are coming off a First-Round playoff loss to Las Vegas under new coach Teresa Weatherspoon. The Sky won its first and only WNBA Championship in 2021. “I had a goal to be here tonight and give my family a better life,” Cardoso said.
2
Celeste Taylor
The Puerto Rican and Colombian basketball player was drafted by the Indiana Fever at No. 15 in the Second Round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. She will join record-breaker Caitlin Clark, who was drafted first overall by Indiana, for her rookie season.
Taylor, who is known for her defensive ability, played with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2024 March Madness Tournament, but were defeated in the second round by Colorado. This is the second season in a row that the Fever drafted a player from Ohio State in the second round. “I just take a lot of pride in the journey,” Taylor said. “It’s definitely a long road.”
3
Esmery Martinez
Originally from Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic, Martinez was selected by the New York Liberty at No. 17 in the Second Round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the first Dominican Republic-born player ever to be drafted in the WNBA. In college, she played for the Arizona Wildcats, who were eliminated by Syracuse in the First Round of the 2024 March Madness Tournament.
Now, Martinez is going to a Liberty team that made it to the WNBA Finals last season with the second-best record in the league. They’ll likely be back near the top of the standings, with WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart leading the way.
4
Leilani Correa
The Indiana Fever drafted Correa at No. 27 in the Third Round of the 2024 WNBA Draft. During her two seasons at Florida University, Correa was named the 2024 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. She led the conference in scoring with 21.4 points a game.
The Fever have not made the postseason in the last seven years, but hopefully with Clark, Taylor, Correa, and second-year head coach Christie Sides their luck will change soon.