The WNBA draft is over, and superstars like No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark are heading toward surefire pro careers.

Not all 36 selections from his year’s draft will have such assurances. The league has 144 coveted roster spots among 12 teams, and other options for pro careers in women’s basketball either in the U.S. or overseas are scarce.

It’s a sharp contrast from men’s prospects who don’t make NBA rosters. They have more opportunities, including more overseas opportunities and playing in the G League.

The NBA also has 30 teams with 15 players allowed on the regular season roster, so there are more spots available.

Why don’t all WNBA draft picks make team rosters?

There’s a simple reason why being among those 36 draft picks doesn’t ensure a roster spot: most of the spots will be taken by returning players.

Only 19 of the 2023 picks played at least one game in the WNBA last season. Since 2018, 142 of 216 draft picks (65.7%) have played in a WNBA game at some point in their career.