2023 WNBA Draft: Who will Indiana Fever take after Aliyah Boston?

Right here is the pool of gamers the Indiana Fever will likely be contemplating for his or her 2023 roster:

• Kelsey Mitchell, beginning SG ($206,000)
• Erica Wheeler, beginning PG ($202,154)
• Victoria Vivians, beginning SF ($135,000)
• Emma Cannon, second PF ($80,000)
• No. 1 choose (most probably Aliyah Boston), beginning C ($74,305)
• NaLyssa Smith, beginning PF ($73,584)
• Emily Engstler, second SF ($73,584)
• No. 7 choose ($71,300)
• Maya Caldwell, second SG ($68,000)
• Queen Egbo, second C ($67,634)
• Kristy Wallace, third SG ($64,657)
• No. 13 choose ($65,290)
• Destanni Henderson, second PG ($64,657)
• Lexie Hull, fourth SG ($70,609)
• No. 17 choose $65,290
• No. 25 choose $62,285

The Fever ought to take into account taking some extent guard at both No. 7 or No. 13 to compete with Destanni Henderson in coaching camp, until they consider in Henderson’s excessive ceiling sufficient to contemplate her the backup (or beginning) PG of the longer term. With the choose they don’t use to take a PG, which, as talked about, could possibly be each, they need to take one of the best participant out there.

ESPN has the Fever taking taking pictures guard Brea Beal (South Carolina) at No. 7, Winsidr has them taking small ahead Ashley Joens (Iowa State) and Simply Ladies’s Sports activities has them certainly taking some extent guard in Grace Berger (Indiana).

Taking Beal would give them probably the greatest defenders within the nation and a teammate of Aliyah Boston’s. Beal enormously improved her offensive recreation as a senior, making 38-of-100 threes when her earlier excessive in proportion was 29.6 and former excessive in makes was 16. She additionally upped her career-best help common from 1.3 to 2.7. Beal has not declared for the draft but although.

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Joens scored 3,060 factors in her collegiate profession (19.4 per recreation). She will drive, again down, pull up from mid-range and hit from downtown. Her profession 3-point proportion at Iowa State was 35.9 on 344 makes. She’s clearly the flashiest participant out of her Beal and Berger (with Beal and Berger each being significantly unflashy) and has been thought-about a high WNBA prospect the longest.

We talked about Berger in our Mystics draft preview. She is, as Indiana teammate Mackenzie Holmes calls her, the mid-range queen, and also can drive, put up floaters and end on the rim. She is a triple-double menace with career-best averages of 16.2 factors, 6.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists. She would after all be a fan favourite within the state of Indiana and Erica Wheeler is already a giant fan of hers from the Hoosiers recreation she attended in February.

Tennessee level guard Jordan Horston is an attention-grabbing choice who Simply Ladies’s Sports activities has out there at No. 7. Ought to she fall from the No. 3 spot ESPN has her at, that will tempting for the Fever. Iowa State heart Stephanie Soares would even be an attention-grabbing choice, however it’s uncertain Indiana will take somebody who may step on Boston’s toes.

At No. 13, the Fever might look to get Beal if she’s nonetheless out there (Simply Ladies’s Sports activities doesn’t have her going within the first spherical). They might additionally look so as to add one other teammate of Boston’s in both taking pictures guard Zia Cooke or energy ahead Laeticia Amihere. Cooke is the projected No. 12 choose in each the Winsidr mock and the Simply Ladies’s Sports activities mock and continues to be out there at No. 13 in line with ESPN. Cooke was South Carolina’s second-best participant after Boston, was the Gamecocks’ finest scorer and was beforehand in consideration to go a lot increased within the first spherical. Cooke and Amihere have but to declare for the draft.

UCLA level guard Charisma Osborne and UConn taking pictures guard/small ahead Lou Lopez Sénéchal might also be out there at No. 13. There will not be a extra deadly 3-point shooter than Lopez Sénéchal within the draft.

The No. 7 choose ought to make the roster, whereas the No. 13 choose will likely be competing with Henderson and Lexie Hull. I’m assuming the Fever will wish to roster offseason acquisitions Maya Caldwell and Kristy Wallace, who have been each reputable contributors on the WNBA degree final yr. The No. 17 and No. 25 picks will likely be roster lengthy pictures, although the No. 17 choose might outperform the No. 13 choose in coaching camp.

Everyone seems to be assuming the Fever will take Boston at No. 1. How significantly better can she make the crew?

Her protection will likely be invaluable, and at 6-foot-5 her offensive recreation ought to translate fairly nicely too. Her 3-point taking pictures went from 29.2 % on 14 makes as a junior to 10.5 % on two makes as a senior, however I’m she’ll be capable of get these numbers again up and even higher than earlier than. I believe she’ll be a star within the WNBA, although I personally don’t see her changing into probably the greatest gamers within the recreation. With that being stated, she will be able to positively make Indiana a playoff crew very quickly.