On April 15, Ivana Raca was selected No. 28 overall in the WNBA Draft, going in the third round to the Los Angeles Sparks. Raca is only the second player in Wake Forest history to be drafted into the WNBA. Raca is also the first Demon Deacon to be drafted since 2015, when San Antonio selected Dearica Hamby. She is just the fifth Serbian and first Cyprus born player to be drafted.

Raca is recognized as one of the premier players in Wake Forest history. She is one of only 28 members of the 1000-point club, easily surpassing that benchmark with 1482 career points. That total places her ninth in program history. Raca’s 715 career rebounds also slot her into 10th place. Her 18 double-doubles rank sixth in Wake Forest history.

Raca was a two-time All-ACC selection at Wake Forest, but this year she put her name on the map. Leading into the season, she was named to the Cheryl Miller Watch List as one of the best players in the country. She was also named a preseason ACC All-American.

Raca delivered on the hype, averaging 16.7 points and nine rebounds per game. She started all 25 games and led the team in scoring 13 times. Raca also posted 10 double-double performances this past season.

Raca put together several show-stopping performances during her final season. At Virginia Tech, she notched 17 points and grabbed a season-high 19 rebounds. In a win against Florida State, Raca dropped 24 points. Lastly, she tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds against UNC-Chapel Hill in the ACC Tournament.

Most notably, Raca became just the fourth Demon Deacon to be awarded first-team All-ACC honors and led the team back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988.

Hopes are high for Raca to find success in the WNBA. With Candace Parker and Chelsea Gray leaving the Sparks in free agency, Raca will have an opportunity to earn significant playing time. If her performance at Wake Forest is indicative of her professional career, then the future looks bright.