INDIANAPOLIS— The Indiana Fever should be celebrating a championship by 2028, if WNBA history is any guide.
Yes, the team has finished 30-100 over the last four years combined and has missed the playoffs seven times in a row.
However, Indiana now has two straight No. 1 draft selections: guard Caitlin Clark this year and forward Aliyah Boston in 2023.
The last three WNBA teams to receive consecutive No. 1 draft selections all went on to win the league title in less than four years. The last two titles have been won by the Las Vegas Aces, with the Seattle Storm doing it twice.
In actuality, the Aces had three consecutive No. 1 picks. The Fever came close to matching that; in 2022, they selected forward NaLyssa Smith with the second overall pick, ahead of Boston and Clark.
Regardless of how badly the Seattle and Las Vegas clubs had struggled in the past, the infusion of elite players instantly boosted them.
Transcendent players made up a large number of the top choices, so landing two in a row was like winning twice.
These players led their teams in scoring during the championship seasons for the teams that won titles following successive No. 1 choice selections.
Boston stated, “We’re so excited for this year because we have so much talent,” earlier this month during the Fever’s media day. “To get along, we’ve been working together.
A higher seed won’t be the primary objective; getting into the playoffs will be the top priority. Even in the middle of the pack, hopefully.”
However, the fever’s ultimate goal is to be at the top of the pack. The 13-27 record from the previous season represented a significant improvement over the three-year total of just 17 wins.
The Fever can improve upon the higher bar that was established, according to Christie Sides, who is in her second season as head coach.
During the Fever’s media day, Sides stated, “We have a plan in place and steps that we want to make sure we don’t skip so we can have sustainable success.” Lin Dunn, the general manager of Indiana, has already done this.
When Seattle selected guard Sue Bird in 2002 and center Lauren Jackson in 2001 as the first overall picks, she was the general manager and coach.
Dunn left Seattle following the 2002 campaign, but he believed the Storm would soon be a title contender. Seattle, an expansion team that finished 6–26 in 2000, won their first WNBA championship in 2004.
With Jackson and Bird as its top two scorers, the Storm improved from a league-worst 56.9 points per game in 2000 to 71.7 points per game in 2004.
Regarding bringing in so much fresh talent in such a short amount of time, Dunn told ESPN that it expedites the process.
“With those selections, we are gaining a post player and a point guard in Aliyah and Caitlin, who, like Jackson and Bird, can be the focal point of your squad.
You can then construct around them. Because of those two’s character, we are depending on them. not only on the court but also in their personalities.
Additionally, we’re depending on the fact that we already have a few components to match them. They don’t have to start off bearing as much weight as Jackson and Bird did.”
Dunn mentioned Smith and seasoned guards Kelsey Mitchell and Erica Wheeler, who both started every game with Boston the previous season, as players that the Fever can also rely heavily on.
Dunn remarked, “Boston and Clark are babies.” “They have a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders, but they have help.”
