Latina Players Selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft

Basketball has transitioned from a game primarily dominated by players in the United States to growing into a game embraced by the world. While the transition in men’s basketball has been apparent for a long time, women’s basketball is starting to follow suit. The WNBA has entered into a major period of growth and is seeing a surge in popularity as a result. From merchandise to ticket sales, it appears everything is on the rise. Even sports betting has increased in the women's game. You can get in on the action as well as find great casinos by clicking here.

Four Latina players were chosen during the 2024 WNBA Draft. Kamilla Cardoso was the prized player in that class. Cardoso is being counted on to turn the Chicago Sky’s fortunes around.

Celeste Taylor, who has Puerto Rican and Colombian heritage, has beaten the odds already. By making the Indiana Fever’s opening day roster, she avoided being another second-round draft choice who was cut due to the limited amount of WNBA roster spots available. Taylor has yet to appear in a game but may see some time as the season goes along.

Taylor had a difficult time finding a place where she felt comfortable in college. She started her career with Texas in 2019. However, after two seasons, Taylor moved on from the Longhorns. After one season averaging double-digit points for Texas, Taylor moved on to Duke.

In both seasons with the Blue Devils, Celeste averaged double scoring. However, Taylor didn’t decide to stick in Durham for the extra season of eligibility she got from the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor wrapped up her career as a defensive specialist at Ohio State, where she also contributed 10.8 points per game.

Cardoso is Anxious to Get Back on the Court

The 2024 WNBA draft class featured the most hyped group of stars in recent memory. Cardoso, who is Brazilian, was almost lost in the shuffle among Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink. There has been no magic in games so far for Cardoso.

Cardoso, a 6-foot-7 centre, has been sitting out the early part of the season due to a shoulder injury. Before arriving in the WNBA, Cardoso had a busy schedule helping South Carolina run off an undefeated season before winning the National Championship. She plans to make her debut on June 1 against Clark and the Indiana Fever.

From Benchwarmer to Star

Cardoso developing into a star was somewhat of a surprise. She came off the bench during her sophomore and junior seasons after starting as a freshman. But when Cardoso was able to get back on the court as a senior, she made a big splash.

She finished with a career-high 9.7 rebounds per game in addition to scoring 14.4 points per game. The Gamecocks blasted Iowa 87-75 in the National Championship game. Cardoso still has a long way to go in order to show she can be that productive as a professional. Having to sit on the injured list to start the year was difficult, but she should be ready to get back to playing basketball in June.

Martínez Faced Upward Road to the Roster

While the WNBA is set to add two teams over the next few seasons, expansion is still a few years away. That may be too late to help players like Esmery Martínez. Martínez, a native of the Dominican Republic, was picked by the New York Liberty in the second round of the draft.

However, Martínez didn’t survive the roster cuts and was waived just before opening day. Martínez played collegiately at the University of Arizona and West Virginia. Making the roster for the Liberty would have been a tall task for any rookie player.

New York has plenty of star power in Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. The Liberty are looking to try and find the right complimentary pieces to help win a championship. New York made the finals last year before being upended by a beat-up Las Vegas Aces team.

Leilani Correa never stopped pushing forward during her college career. After starring in the Big East at St. John’s for three seasons, Correa leapt at the opportunity to go south and play for Florida. Correa, who was also drafted by the Fever, wasn’t demanding when she transferred from the Red Storm to play with the Gators.

Florida had Correa serve in a substitute role when she first played in. She only started six games during her first year with the Gators. During Correa’s second season with Florida, she led the Southeastern Conference in scoring by averaging 21.4 points per game.

Correa will have to find out where she fits as a professional. The Fever ended up cutting her from the roster before the season started.

Latin Players Have Long Made a Splash in the WNBA

The WNBA doesn’t have that much history compared to many of its counterparts on the men’s side of the game. However, the league has now existed for more than 20 years and there has been an ability for players to grow their careers. Diana Taurasi dominated in college at UConn before heading to the professional ranks with the Phoenix Mercury.

Taurasi has Latin roots, as her mom is from Argentina. Taurasi was born and raised in the United States. She is currently in her 20th season as a professional player. During that time Taruasi has started in both the WNBA and playing overseas in Russia. Taurasi is a three-time WNBA champion and was the MVP of the league in 2009.

Final Thoughts

Some countries had to wait longer for their moment in the sun than others. Mexico didn’t have a player drafted by a WNBA team until Lou Lopez Sénéchal was picked fifth by the Dallas Wings in 2023. Sénéchal hasn’t played much in the pros yet but became a scrapper in college.

After spending four years at low-Division 1 Fairfield, Sénéchal transferred to UConn to use her one year of extra eligibility from the pandemic.