Indiana Fever select forward Aliyah Boston No. 1 overall in 2023 WNBA draft
The Indiana Fever selected former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with the first overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday.
The 6-5 forward was widely expected to be picked first overall after four seasons with the Gamecocks, becoming the second No. 1 pick from the school, joining Aces star A’ja Wilson.
“It’s really special, I’m thankful to God for putting me in this position,” Boston said. “Everyone in Indiana, they saw something in me, I’m ready to get there and get to work.”
The Fever hope the team’s newest addition will lead to success after winning just five games last season. Indiana has just 17 combined wins in the past three seasons and has failed to garner much success after Tamika Catchings’ retirement in 2016.
“Aliyah Boston will have an immediate impact on our franchise on and off the court,” Fever GM Lin Dunn said. ‘We are excited to pair her with Kelsey [Mitchell] and NaLyssa [Smith] as we reload the Indiana Fever. We are very impressed with Aliyah’s post skills as well as her natural leadership skills. This a a great day for our franchise!”
The Fever haven’t made the postseason since 2016, which is the longest active playoff drought in the league.
Boston will start her professional career after three consecutive Final Four appearances and a 2022 national title with the Gamecocks. She was the 2022 Naismith Player of the Year and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four the same year South Carolina won the national title.
She earned three first-team All-American selections and was named SEC Player of the Year twice.
“She’s great. She’s ready,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said of Boston at the 2023 Final Four. “She has been the cornerstone of our program for the past four years. She elevated us. She raised the standard of how to approach basketball. She’s never had a bad day. She’s never come into practice sulking. She’s always just the person that you saw so very, very consistent.”
LIBERTY’S ONLY PICK
The WNBA draft featured three rounds with 12 selections in each round. The Liberty had just one pick and selected guard Okako Adika out of USC with the 30th overall selection in the third round.
“Okako Adika is a promising talent who we’re really excited about,” said Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb. “As a versatile 3-and-D wing with familiarity in a pro-style offense, she’s someone who we can really use down the line.”
Adika is a native of Holstebro, Denmark and most recently represented USC as a graduate student. Last season with the Troajans, the 6-0 guard averaged averaged 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.7% from three-point range.
TOP FIVE
The Minnesota Lynx selected guard Diamond Miller out of Maryland with the second overall pick and the Dallas Wings drafted Poughkeepsie native Maddy Siegrist out of Villanova. Siegrist led the nation in scoring last season (29.2 points per game) and was a two-time Big East Player of the Year award recipient.
Miller going second to the Lynx was no surprise, as the two-way guard fits a Minnesota roster that missed the postseason for the first time since 2010.
The Washington Mystics selected Stephanie Soares fourth overall after the 6-6 center played just 13 games at Iowa State due to an ACL tear. Soares showcased her rim protection and deep shotmaking that allowed her to not drop out of the top five. Soares’ ACL injury, which she sustained in January, will force her to miss the upcoming WNBA season.
The Wings made a trade with the Phoenix Mercury to pair Siegrist with former UConn guard/forward Lou Lopez Senechal. The fifth overall selection adds more shooting and sets up an offensive duo with Siegrist.
SOUTH CAROLINA DOMINATES
The Gamecocks dominated Monday’s draft at Spring Studios in New York City, totaling three players from the university getting selected in the first round. Forward Laeticia Amihere was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Dream and the Los Angeles Sparks selected guard Zia Cooke with the 10th overall pick.
Staley, who was in attendance, saw five total former Gamecocks get selected in the draft. The Lynx selected guard Brea Beal with the 24th overall pick in the second round and the Fever drafted Victaria Saxton — now teammates again with Boston — with the 25th overall selection in the third round.
