NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark admitted she was a bit nervous before being chosen with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, even though it was no surprise.

“I dreamed of this moment since I was in second grade, and it’s taken a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs, but more than anything, just trying to soak it in,” Clark said.

The former Iowa star became a household name among basketball fans during her record-breaking college career, and she will now try and help revive the Indiana franchise along with last season’s No. 1 pick, Aliyah Boston, who previously played with Clark on a USA Basketball Under-19 team.

“Obviously going to an organization that has, in my eyes, one of the best post players in the entire world,” Clark said. “My point guard eyes just light up at that. And obviously, Aliyah has been one of my teammates before. I’m excited. I can’t wait.”

The Fever taking Clark had been a foregone conclusion since she announced on Feb. 29 she would turn pro. Nearly 17,000 tickets were claimed to watch the draft at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home to the Fever and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers.

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Kate Martin attends WNBA draft to support Caitlin Clark, gets drafted by Las Vegas in second round

Clark has helped bring millions of fans to the women’s game with her signature shots from the midcourt logo and passing ability. The NCAA’s all-time scoring leader was a big reason why a record 18.9 million viewers tuned in to the national championship game, which Iowa lost to unbeaten South Carolina. The Hawkeyes were also the national runners-up to LSU a year earlier.

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Clark. After the title game, she flew to Los Angeles to receive the John R. Wooden Award and then came to New York for an appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

“I think obviously the course of the last few weeks has been pretty insane in my life, the last two months playing basketball as long as I possibly could in my college career,” Clark said. “I think the biggest thing is I’m just very lucky to be in this moment, and all these opportunities and these things, they’re once in a lifetime.”

Clark, who wore a white Prada jacket and skirt, hugged her parents and brothers and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder after she was drafted.

The draft was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of 1,000 fans, who bought all the tickets within 15 minutes of them going on sale a few months ago.

Los Angeles chose Stanford’s Cameron Brink at No. 2. She’ll get to stay in California and gives the Sparks a two-way player.

“When they called my name, a huge wave of emotions hit me,” Brink said. “I saw my mom tearing up and my dad and it hit home.”

A prolific scorer, Brink was also the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. The Sparks needed to replace franchise player Nneka Ogwumike, who left for Seattle in free agency. Brink’s godmother, Sonya Curry, is the mother of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

“I FaceTimed Steph five minutes before the show started and he said have fun with it,” Brink said. “He can share so much great advice since he’s been through this. Make stuff like this fun as it can be stressed.”

Chicago had the third pick and chose South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso before the Sparks were on the clock again and and selected Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson.

Cardoso had a busy week, helping the Gamecocks win the national championship to complete an undefeated season. She took part in the team’s championship parade on Sunday before traveling to New York.

Dallas took Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon with the fifth pick. Washington drafted Aaliyah Edwards of UConn sixth before Chicago took LSU’s Angel Reese at No. 7, pairing her with Cardoso.

“She’s a great player and I’m a great player. Nobody’s going to get no rebounds on us,” the 6-foot-7 Cardoso said, laughing.

Minnesota, which had swapped picks with Chicago, drafted Alissa Pili of Utah eighth.

A pair of French guards, Carla Leite and Leila Lacan, went next to Dallas and Connecticut, respectively.

New York drafted Ole Miss’ Marquesha Davis at No. 11 and Atlanta closed out the first round by taking Australian Nyadiew Puoch.

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE

Two-time defending champion Las Vegas didn’t have a first-round pick, but made the most of three second-round choices. The Aces chose Syracuse guard Dyaisha Fair, who finished as the third-leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, with the 16th pick. Two picks later, they chose Iowa’s Kate Martin. The team closed out the round drafting Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley, who is recovering from a torn ACL. She’s out for the season and showed up on crutches.

HEADING TO PHOENIX

Charisma Osborne was the last of the 15 players invited to the draft to get chosen, going with the first pick of the third round to Phoenix. Osborne, who played at UCLA, said getting chosen so late didn’t faze her.

“I was nervous the entire night. My feelings didn’t change,” she said. “I heard my name and was so excited. I can’t wait to get to work in Phoenix.”

INDIANAPOLIS – With the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Indiana Fever picked University of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark on Monday night.

“We are thrilled to add Caitlin Clark to our roster. This is a great day for the Indiana Fever and all of Pacers Sports & Entertainment. l am confident she will have an immediate impact on our team and the league. Any time you can add two consecutive No. 1 draft selections, it creates enormous interest and visibility,” Fever General Manager Lin Dunn said.

RELATED: It’s Finally Official: Caitlin Clark is Coming to Indiana »

The 6-foot guard from West Des Moines, Iowa comes to Indiana after finishing her time at the University of Iowa with one of the most accomplished careers, which includes the remarkable distinction of being the greatest scorer in college basketball history. In the NCAA record books, Clark finished as the NCAA all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s college basketball (3,951 points), the all-time leading scorer in women’s NCAA Tournament history (480 points), first in field goals made (1,293 made field goals), first in 3-point field goals made (548 made 3-point field goals) third in assists (1,144 assists) and fourth in free throws made (817 made free throws). Across the Big Ten, Clark ended her collegiate career leading the conference as the all-time leader in points, assists, field goals made, 3-point field goals made and free throws made.

Clark was a four-time All-America recipient, four-time First Team All-Big Ten recipient, three-time Dawn Staley Award winner, three-time Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award winner, three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, three-time Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, two-time AP National Player of the Year and two-time Naismith Women’s Player of the Year.

“Caitlin is one of the most naturally gifted basketball players I have ever seen enter the WNBA from the college level. Her shooting and passing abilities captivated an entire audience of basketball fans, and her ability to make those around her better was even more evident during her collegiate career. We can’t wait to bring her to Indiana and incorporate her into our locker room with a group ready to get back to the postseason,” Fever Head Coach Christie Sides said.

This past season, Clark led the Hawkeyes to its second consecutive appearance in the national championship game and became the only player in NCAA Division I men’s or women’s basketball history to lead their conference in scoring and assists in four consecutive seasons. She became the first Division I player to also notch back-to-back 1,000-point seasons, ending her senior campaign with 1,234 points.

RELATED: 10 Things to Know About Caitlin Clark »

During her penultimate season in 2022-23, Clark netted the most points by a Division I men’s or women’s basketball player after 100 career games played. In helping advance Iowa to the national championship game, Clark became the first player in Women’s NCAA Tournament history with back-to-back 40-point games. Against South Carolina in the Final Four, Clark’s 41 points were the most by any player against an undefeated team in Men’s or Women’s NCAA Tournament history.

In her sophomore season, Clark started all 32 games played from 2021-22. Clark ended her second season leading the country in points per game (27.0), points (863), assists per game (8.0), free throws made (200), triple-doubles (5) and 30-point games (11).

As a freshman, Clark started all 30 games from 2020-21. She was named The Athletic, WBCA, and USBWA Tamika Catchings Co-Freshman of the Year and earned first team All-America honors from The Athletic, WBCA, and USBWA, and earned second-team honors from the Associated Press. Clark was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors. As a freshman, Clark led the nation in assists (214), field goals made (266), points (799), points per game (26.6), 3-pointers attempted (286), and 3-pointers made (116).

As a part of USA Basketball, Clark was named to the 2024 USA Women’s National Team April training camp roster in Cleveland at the NCAA Final Four. She won gold medals with USA Basketball as part of both the 2019 and 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup teams, as well as the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship team.

2024 Fever Draft Central »

The Fever also drafted guards Celeste Taylor (Ohio State) and Leilani Correa (Florida) to round out the 2024 WNBA Draft Class.

Celeste Taylor – 2nd rd. – No. 15 overall pick Guard – 5-11 – Ohio State

Taylor was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honor this season with Ohio State and in 2022-23 with Duke. The 5-11 guard also was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year this season by the conference’s coaches, a year after earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. The 5-11 guard from Valley Stream, N.Y., led the Big Ten in steals per game (2.5) this season and averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. In 2023, she set a Duke NCAA Tournament record with 10 steals against Colorado.

Leilani Correa – 3rd rd. – No. 27 overall pick Guard – 6-0 – Florida

Correa played three seasons at St. John’s before transferring to Florida in 2022. In 59 games played at Florida from 2022-24, Correa averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and started 15 games for the Gators. At St. John’s, she won the Big East Sixth-Woman Award in her freshman year and was unanimously selected to Big East All-Freshman Team.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts have locked in another key piece of their core.

In a continuation of moves made this spring, the Colts signed star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to an extension Monday. Sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter that it's a two-year deal for $46 million and runs through the 2026 season.

The deal comes as the Colts report this week for voluntary offseason workouts and preempts what would have been a contract year for one of the team's captains and most productive players. He was entering the final year of a four-year, $84 million contract signed after joining the Colts in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, when he was a first-team All-Pro selection.

"DeForest has been the epitome of what it means to be a Colt the last four years," general manager Chris Ballard said in a statement. "As one of the premier defensive tackles in the league, he is a destructive force on our defensive line. DeForest is one of the pillars of our locker room. His hard work, consistency and approach to the game are vital to the success of our team."

The move is the latest by Indianapolis to solidify one of its foundational players after numerous other re-signings earlier in the offseason. The Colts had already committed roughly $190 million in new money to extensions for a group of returning players that includes receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Kenny Moore II, nose tackle Grover Stewart and linebacker Zaire Franklin.

Meanwhile, the team largely eschewed the temptation to acquire outside free agents, instead doubling down on its in-house talent as it tries to make a playoff run with the return of quarterback Anthony Richardson from a shoulder injury.

"Different is not always better," Ballard said recently when asked about the approach.

For the 30-year-old Buckner, the $23 million average annual value in his new deal ranks fifth among defensive tackles, behind Kansas City's Chris Jones (31.75 million), Las Vegas' Christian Wilkins ($27.5 million), Baltimore's Justin Madubuike ($24.5 million) and Carolina's Derrick Brown ($24 million).

Buckner has been consistently productive for the Colts. According to ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats, he has "created" 44 sacks when lined up as a defensive tackle since 2017 -- fourth most in the NFL. (A sack created is credited to the first player to record a pass-rush win on a sack play.)

Since entering the league in 2016, Buckner has the fourth-most sacks as an interior defensive lineman, behind Aaron Donald (68.5), Jones (60.5) and Cameron Heyward (56.5) -- despite drawing consistent double-teams from opponents. He has the fourth-highest double-team rate as a defensive tackle since 2020 (65%).

In second grade, Caitlin Clark wrote a note to herself, compiling her goals for the future.

"Get a basketball scholarship, play in the WNBA," Clark recalled the note saying.

On Monday, her dreams will come true: She was selected by the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, launching her professional career in the sport she dominated for the last four years as an Iowa Hawkeye, sinking 3-pointers and breaking records.

"I think more than anything I’m just really excited," Clark told "TODAY" while spending the weekend in New York City, fresh off the NCAA championship game. She's trying to "enjoy every single second" of this "whirlwind" year.

But Clark knows starting in the WNBA will be a challenge — a "good challenge for me," she said, noting that she chose to end her college hoops career with one year of eligibility left to embark on "something new."

"I hope my game translates to the next level," said Clark, who broke the all-time scoring record in the NCAA this year. She expects there to be a learning curve when she takes the court in the pros, but she said she knows "there will be good vets around me that I’ll be able to lean on."

Having for years served as a talisman for Iowa, Clark said she's looking forward to relying on her future teammates and not having to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders all the time.

Even though high expectations aren't going to change as Clark enters the pros, "that's what you want" when you "want to be one of the best players in the world," she said.

She may well be on her way to becoming one of the world's top players, but none of it is an accident.

Those long 3s she's known for? "Those are shots, like, I practice and work on every single day," Clark said. "It’s not like I just take the court for a game and just start launching those.

"But I think always I’ve had confidence in myself," she said. "And so just carrying that and being confident in all the work I’ve put in in the moments and knowing that I’ve earned to be in this moment, that’s always kind of what I remind myself, is, you know, 'You’re not here by accident.' Like, it’s all the hard work that you put in. And that’s what led you to this."

Her hard work might also lead her to the Olympics this summer in Paris, where she could earn a spot on the U.S. women's basketball team to represent her country on the international stage.

Clark said it would "mean everything" to her to be on the team.

"That’s, like, one of my dreams as a kid growing up. You always want to be an Olympic gold medalist," she said.

'The reason you do it'

Aside from the multiple records broken on the court and the viewership records set in her games, Clark has been inspiring swarms of young girls — who show up courtside desperate for autographs or selfies — to launch their own basketball careers.

"I think that's, like, the reason you do it," Clark said.

"One, like, I love playing basketball. But, two, also getting to inspire the next generation," she continued. "I grew up loving basketball, loving soccer. Like, the people I idolized in my life were, you know, either professional women’s basketball players, professional soccer players, and that’s what I wanted to be growing up."

For Clark, understanding "how big of an impact that can have on a young girl’s life is super important. So I always try to make as much time as I can for them," she said. "And just to see them scream your name or have your jersey on, that’s something that never gets old."

When she was growing up, women's basketball was always on TV in Clark's house, she said. She said she always knew it "was really great," so it surprises her that so many people are "new to the sport."

Clark doesn't take offense, though. Instead, she teases newcomers, letting them know they're "late to the party."

"It's always been really good. There's always been so many good players," she said.

Clark thinks being able to play on a national stage, as well as social media and the introduction of the name, image and likeness policy in college sports — which allows collegiate athletes to make money from their personal brands — are all contributing to the rise of women's basketball.

"But I think the best thing is, like, they're here now," Clark said of the new fans. "Like, let's continue to bring them in and want them to keep coming back for more."

Clark said she has heard the rumors that season tickets for the Indiana Fever are selling fast and that other teams are moving their venues so more people can watch her play, but she sees that as only another win for the WNBA — and women's basketball — as a whole.

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Caitlin Clark makes ‘SNL’ appearance during ‘Weekend Update'

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"I think it’s, you know, only going to help the league grow even more," Clark said. "And obviously it’s at a place where it’s been really good. But the more people we can bring into the league, whether they’ve just been college fans and now they can be college basketball fans and WNBA fans, will only help the league to grow."

In the days between closing out her college basketball career and turning pro, Clark took another opportunity to lift up women’s basketball in an appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

In a cameo on the “Weekend Update” segment, she called out host Michael Che for dunking on women’s sports in the past. She also used the moment to mention all the women’s basketball greats who came before her.

Clark, who said she doesn’t get nervous for basketball games, said getting ready for “SNL” was “a little scary” and far more daunting than preparing for the national championship game on April 7, when Iowa fell to South Carolina.

At the end of the show, she invited fellow Hawkeyes Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall up onstage for goodbyes. They’re moments like sharing the “SNL” stage with her teammates or the moments she shares with her family in between games that Clark said she treasures most.

“I think it’s just the little moments that a lot of people in the public don’t get to see,” she said. “That’s kind of what means the most to me.”

Rebecca Cohen

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

Stephanie Gosk

Stephanie Gosk is an NBC News correspondent based in New York City. She contributes to "Nightly News with Lester Holt," "TODAY" and MSNBC.

DeForest Buckner grew up in Hawaii, then played his college ball at Oregon and the first four years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.

But after signing a contract extension with the Colts on Monday, Buckner and his family's ties not only to his team, but to Indianapolis – over 2,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean – will only grow stronger.

"Being able to come here back in 2020, my wife and I were just starting our family," Buckner said. "We got two beautiful illite boys now, and just being able to raise them in this environment, in this culture out here in Indy, it's been amazing. The people have been amazing. We're both from the West Coast, I'm from Hawaii, and being able to build our little village out here with the people out here, it's been amazing, man. There's no place (else) we wanted to be — our family is rooted here."

You can watch Buckner's entire sit-down interview on Tuesday's episode of the Official Colts Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Since coming to Indianapolis in 2020 – the Colts traded a first-round pick to the 49ers to acquire the 6-foot-7, 295 pound defensive tackle – Buckner has been one of the NFL's best and most consistent interior defensive linemen. He was named a first-team AP All-Pro in 2020 and earned places in the 2022 and 2024 Pro Bowl, and he was voted a team captain in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Buckner is the only defensive tackle in the NFL to have at least seven sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for a loss in each of the last four seasons. As he signed his extension on Monday, he reflected on the work he's put in not only to establish himself as a consistently disruptive interior presence, but also as a player worthy of a difficult-to-attain third NFL contract.

"It means a lot," Buckner said. "Four years ago, (Chris) Ballard and the Irsays brought me in to do a job and try to help this team and help lead this team, and it's just a surreal feeling to be able to come back for a couple extra years and just the faith that Ballard has in me as a player, as a person, it means a lot.

"... This game, it's all about consistency. Being able to do it over the past couple years on a consistent basis playing at a high level, it's very rewarding. A second contract is hard, but a third one's even harder."

Buckner will stick around the Colts alongside several teammates who also recently earned third contracts: Cornerback Kenny Moore II, defensive end Tyquan Lewis (fourth contract), linebacker Zaire Franklin and, of course, defensive tackle Grover Stewart.

Over the last four seasons, the Buckner-Stewart pairing has been a key driver in the success of the Colts' defense. Since 2020, the Colts have the sixth-highest collective Pro Football Focus defense grade among defensive tackles. But Buckner feels like he and Stewart can continue to improve as they get more time together in Indianapolis.

"We can continue to get better each and every year," Buckner said. "Since I got here back in 2020, our chemistry, we hit it off the bat. Just each and every year we just push each other, whether it's in drills — whatever it is, we're always competing against each other to make each other better. That's the relationship you want among your teammates. That's where we're able to play at such a high level. It's so fun watching Grove over the years, the player he's become and the potential he still has to be an even better player. I'm just happy to be able to continue that over the next couple years."

For Buckner, the contract extension he signed this week also meant he and his family earned an elusive thing for NFL players: Stability. The reasons why Buckner wanted to stay with the Colts go beyond football.

And as Buckner continues to grow his impact on the field for the Colts, his family will continue to grow its roots in central Indiana.

"It means the world," Buckner said. "It's hard to find that, especially in our business. Just seeing how happy my boys are, my wife is and how happy I am with the relationships I've built out here, it's just — it's been a blessing, man. That was my priority, No. 1, was making sure I was staying here, staying put. And God willing, he blessed my family to be able to stay out here and remain Hoosiers."