THESE TEAMS HAVE NEVER HAD THR WORST RECORD IN THE NFL

 

NO. 1 NFL DRAFT PICK CALEB WILLIAMS REALIZES ALL EYES ARE ON HIM AND HE'S EMBRACING THE ATTENTION

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 LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Caleb Williams seemed unfazed by it all.

The former Southern California star was ready to embrace the attention after the Chicago Bears grabbed him with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. The prized quarterback knows all eyes are on him in a city craving a consistent winner. And to that, Williams said bring it on.

“I’m always going to have scrutiny,” he said at a news conference Friday, a day after the Bears drafted him. “I do things like paint my nails. I’m always going to have scrutiny over that. I wear funky clothes, things like that. So you know. Just do my job on the football field and win games. I think if you win a bunch of games here, you’ll make a lot of people, the majority, happy.”

The Bears have just three playoff appearances since the 2006 team advanced to the Super Bowl. And in two of them, they failed to advance. Chicago's lone Super Bowl champion remains the 1985 team, but there's certainly a buzz blowing through the Windy City.

The Bears look like they might be ready to turn a corner, after going a combined 10-24 in their first two seasons under general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.

Chicago acquired six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers, giving it another top receiver to go with DJ Moore. The Bears added another potential playmaker at the position when they drafted All-American Rome Odunze of Washington at No. 9. But above all else, they think they have their franchise quarterback.

Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, has made no attempts to temper expectations. He said recently on The Pivot Podcast that he's chasing Tom Brady's record seven Super Bowl wins.

“What’s the reason to duck?” Williams said. “It’s here. There’s no reason to duck. I’m here. Rome’s here. Keenan Allen, the top-five defense that we had last year, special teams, all the new roles — whatever. We’re here. I’m excited. I know everybody’s excited. The Bears fans are excited from what I’ve heard and seen, and there’s no reason to duck. Attack it head first and go get it.”

Williams acknowledged there might be growing pains. But he insisted he expects to be great right away.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he said. “Obviously if there’s growing pains, you handle them. But that doesn’t mean that affects your greatness. There’s trials and tribulations that you go through. Why would I go somewhere, work so hard for so many years and then in every situation I go to believe I’m the best, and then I get here and I don’t believe that? That doesn’t mean that I go around and boast. That doesn’t mean that I go around and say that. But the way I handle my work, the way I carry myself every day, how I treat my friends, family, teammates, the faculty, the executives here, the custodians, whatever the case may be — treat everybody as they are, we’re all equal and everybody should think that they’re the best when you do things and you work so hard for stuff.”

Williams, who held up a No. 1 jersey on draft night, will wear No. 18 in Chicago. His number at USC — 13 — is taken by Allen.

Williams has a strong arm, an ability to avoid defenders and presence in the pocket. He had 93 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions during three seasons at Oklahoma and USC and captured the Heisman after following coach Lincoln Riley to Los Angeles from Norman.

“He's not scared for greatness,” Riley said. “He's not scared to put it out there. He's not scared to be himself, and I think you have to have that belief in yourself. You have to have that belief in the people around you, and it's contagious. Is is, when a leader or a quarterback feels that way about his team and what they're trying to accomplish.”

Odunze, who led the nation with a school-record 1,640 yards receiving last season, got a close look at Williams the past few seasons.

“It was embarrassing to watch some of the things he was doing to our defense,” Odunze said. “Very special and a very unique skill set. When you watch him play, there are things he can do on the field you don’t see any other quarterback doing. He brings a unique skill set. He’s very confident in the pocket, very confident extending a play, and the play is never over until the whistle is blown, you know that.”

- ANDREW SELIGMAN

CAITLIN CLARCK TAKEN NO.1 IN THE WNBA DRAFT BY THE INDIANA FEVER, AS EXPECTED

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 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.

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.

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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.

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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.”

- DOUG FEINBERG

NO. 1 PICK VICTOR WEMBANYAMA RECORDS DOUBLE-DOUBLE