Women’s basketball has gained immense momentum within the last few years with the women’s NCAA tournament overshadowing the men’s version in 2024.

The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in an explosive final game for the NCAA tournament on Sunday. South Carolina took home the championship title, beating Iowa 87-75. The championship game drew record-breaking viewership numbers, with 18.7 million viewers tuned into the most-watched women’s basketball game in 32 years.

Since the uptick in women’s basketball, the world has been introduced to more female athletes. South Carolina’s Raven Johnson and Kamila Cardoso have stood in the spotlight. Alongside the Gamecocks, LSU teammates Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson have also garnered media attention.

Ahead of the 2024 WNBA draft on Monday, April 15, find out which athletes have declared for the league.

Angel Reese

The Bayou Barbie is taking her skills from college basketball courts to pro-athlete status. The Louisiana State University (LSU) basketball star declared for the WNBA draft on April 3. Reese’s announcement came shortly after her team’s season ended in the Elite Eight round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Reese’s decision to aim for the WNBA did not arrive in the typical Instagram post. Extravagantly, the basketball player made her draft status public through her released Vogue photoshoot.

The Baltimore native started her college basketball career in Maryland before transferring to LSU in 2022. The LSU Tigers won their first NCAA championship during her first year on the team. Since then, Reese has been the face of different brands, appeared in music videos and modeled in several major editorial campaigns.   

Kamila Cardoso

The South Carolina Gamecocks basketball player hopes to be heading to the WNBA. On Sunday, Cardoso helped lead her undefeated team to the national NCAA championship against the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team. Before reaching the final game of tournament season, Cardoso announced she declared for the WNBA draft on April 1.

Originally from Brazil, the athlete left her native home eight years ago to further her basketball career. Before heading to South Carolina, the star center transferred from Syracuse before the 2021-22 season. The Gamecocks athlete has reached a pivotal point in her budding career where she is projected to be a top-five pick.

Aaliyah Edwards

University of Connecticut star player Aaliyah Edwards declared for the WNBA draft on March 21. She made the announcement in a video posted on social media. Although Edwards had another year to qualify for draft eligibility, she entered the WNBA draft this year instead. She is projected to be a first-round pick.

Edwards became a starting player during her junior year at UConn. She has since dominated on the court and developed into a critical player for the university. The Huskies women’s basketball team has won 11 national championship titles.

Charisma Osborne

Osborne will also enter the upcoming WNBA draft. She made her decision public on April 2 in a statement posted on social media. UCLA basketball player’s announcement comes as no surprise. Throughout her five-season collegiate career, she consistently delivered noteworthy skills.

Celeste Taylor

Taylor, who plays for the Ohio State Buckeyes, declared her entrance into the 2024 WNBA draft at the end of March. She also made her announcement on social media. Before arriving at Ohio State, she played at Duke University and the University of Texas. The outstanding player has other achievements, including being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23.