Indiana Fever earn No. 1 decide in 2023 WNBA draft for first time

Indiana Fever interim common supervisor Lin Dunn mentioned earlier Friday that she’d be watching the 2023 WNBA draft lottery later that night with a rabbit foot, her fingers crossed and “another charms I am unable to point out in public.”

No matter Dunn did to get luck on her aspect labored: For the primary time in franchise historical past, the Fever earned the No. 1 general decide within the upcoming 2023 WNBA draft, as introduced on the lottery Friday night previous to the beginning of the No. 1 South Carolina-No. 17 Maryland recreation.

Aliyah Boston — the reigning nationwide participant of the 12 months from South Carolina — is the presumptive No. 1 general decide, thought of by many to be a probably franchise-changing determine.

The Minnesota Lynx — the four-time WNBA champions who missed the playoffs in 2022 for the primary time since 2010 — earned the No. 2 decide regardless of solely having a 14.5% likelihood of doing so. The Atlanta Dream will choose third general, adopted by the Washington Mystics at No. 4. The remainder of the primary spherical will likely be Chicago, New York, Indiana, Atlanta, Seattle, Connecticut, Dallas and Minnesota.

The Mystics made the postseason however through a commerce obtained the fitting to swap its first-round decide for Los Angeles’ 2023 first-round decide acquired by the Dream in an earlier commerce.

The Fever had one of the best likelihood of any workforce (44.2%) to get the No. 1 decide. The percentages had been based mostly on groups who missed the 2022 playoffs’ two-year cumulative report.

Indiana franchise stalwart Kelsey Mitchell — a former No. 2 decide herself — was reside at ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut, for the draft lottery present representing the Fever.

Earlier within the day, the franchise launched their new coach, Christie Sides, kickstarting a brand new period for the storied group after a prolonged stretch of underperforming. The Fever made the postseason every season from 2005-2016, clinching the WNBA title in 2012, however has didn’t make the playoffs ever because the retirement of legend Tamika Catchings.

“This can be a very robust draft. We’ll get an ideal participant choosing at No. 1,” Dunn mentioned in a press release.

The Fever have 5 gamers drafted final 12 months nonetheless on their roster, together with No. 2 general decide NaLyssa Smith and Destanni Henderson, Boston’s level guard at South Carolina. The pair led the Gamecocks to the 2022 nationwide championship.