WNBA mock draft: Fever win lottery, all eyes on South Carolina's Boston as No. 1 pick

The lottery balls yet went their way, and there's small uncertainty which subordinate the Indiana Fever volition prime with the WNBA's No. 1 draught pick adjacent April.

The Fever had the highest likelihood (44.2%) of getting the No. 1 pick, which the enactment antecedently ne'er had. That changed Friday arsenic the Fever won the WNBA draught lottery, followed by the Minnesota Lynx, the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics.

Tamika Catchings, the No. 3 prime successful 2001, is the champion subordinate successful Fever past and 1 of the all-time greats successful women's basketball. But Indiana hasn't made the playoffs since Catchings retired pursuing the 2016 season.

The Fever person had draught occurrence successful that agelong with Kelsey Mitchell (No. 2 successful 2018), Victoria Vivians (No. 8 successful 2018), NaLyssa Smith (No. 2 successful 2022) and Queen Egbo (No. 10 successful 2022). But Indiana is inactive looking to go genuinely competitory again. This year, the Fever had an early-season coaching alteration and a young squad finished 5-31.

Seniors inactive person the enactment of coming backmost for a 5th play due to the fact that of the pandemic-affected 2020-21 world year, truthful determination is nary warrant each of these players volition marque themselves eligible for the draft. But with the accusation we person now, present is an aboriginal projection of the archetypal circular of the draft, which is scheduled to beryllium April 10, 2023.

First Round

1. Indiana Fever: Aliyah Boston

South Carolina Gamecocks | guardant | 6-foot-5 | senior

She is the subordinate the Fever severely need. Boston is the draft's definite thing, provided she doesn't propulsion a astonishment and opt to enactment a 5th play successful college. That isn't expected astatine this point. Boston was the nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth past play and favored to repeat, arsenic are the Gamecocks arsenic nationalist champions. She is the astir pro-ready assemblage player, with elite finishing skills, footwork and antiaircraft quality and savvy. With a wide manager and a caller manager focused connected defense, the Fever tin get a rookie station successful Boston who is already capable to support astatine an elite pro level.

2. Minnesota Lynx: Haley Jones

Stanford Cardinal | defender | 6-foot-1 | senior

The Lynx missed the playoffs past play for the archetypal clip since 2010, and they indispensable set to beingness without retired halfway Sylvia Fowles. The Most Outstanding Player successful the 2021 NCAA tournament, Jones could beryllium an elite playmaker astatine the adjacent level, on with becoming a much dynamic scorer than she has been astatine Stanford. It's not just to comparison anyone to greats specified arsenic Seimone Augustus oregon Maya Moore, who were some No. 1 picks by Minnesota. But Jones could beryllium a large guard/wing who makes her ain bequest with the Lynx.

3. Atlanta Dream: Rickea Jackson

Tennessee Lady Vols | guardant | 6-foot-2 | senior

After taking large defender Rhyne Howard with the No. 1 prime past play -- she was WNBA Rookie of the Year -- the Dream mightiness privation to prime up a dynamic station player. Jackson is successful her archetypal play astatine Tennessee and apt volition person a batch to bash with however acold the Lady Vols go. She was the SEC's starring scorer erstwhile she near Mississippi State past January aft 2 coaching changes. In her clip with the Bulldogs, she averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. If she tin person akin numbers this season, it volition beryllium bully for the Lady Vols and her draught stock.

4. Washington Mystics: Diamond Miller

Maryland Terps | defender | 6-foot-3 | senior

The Mystics mightiness enactment adjacent to location with this prime and get Maryland's large guard. She near the Terps' opener with an wounded Monday, and she had wounded issues past season, too. But provided Miller has a steadfast wide season, she could beryllium a beardown violative subordinate successful modulation with Washington, with country to turn connected defense. The Mystics led the WNBA successful antiaircraft standing past season, truthful her advancement determination is important. Her wounded presumption volition beryllium a large key, but Miller's endowment and imaginable are not successful doubt.

5. Chicago Sky: Charisma Osborne

UCLA Bruins | defender | 5-foot-9 | senior

Osborne was somewhat retired of the spotlight with the Bruins missing the NCAA tourney past season, though they precocious to the WNIT semifinals. A coagulated violative player, Osborne led the Bruins astatine 16.4 PPG past season. But she's adjacent amended connected defense, and the Sky could spot her arsenic an important summation connected the perimeter aft a disappointing extremity to their 2022 play with a playoff nonaccomplishment to Connecticut.

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Jordan Horston gets the and-1 to fall

6. New York Liberty: Jordan Horston

Tennessee Lady Vols | defender | 6-foot-2 | senior

Horston had a precise bully inferior twelvemonth chopped abbreviated by an elbow injury, and expectations are precocious for her and Tennessee. She has large size and antiaircraft instincts connected the wing, which could marque her invaluable to the Liberty. While turnovers and changeable enactment person been issues for Horston, she averaged 16.2 points past season, on with 9.4 rebounds. She suffered a limb wounded successful Tennessee's triumph Thursday that forced her to permission that game, but she has since been evaluated arsenic day-to-day.

7. Indiana Fever: Aijha Blackwell

Baylor Bears | forward/guard | 5-foot-11 | senior

Blackwell is an outstanding rebounder, averaging 13.0 past play and 10.2 successful her 3 years astatine Missouri. She is quick, beardown and has bully instincts some offensively and defensively. Can she set to playing much connected the perimeter, arsenic she volition request to successful the pro game? Having erstwhile WNBA manager Nicki Collen guiding her this play astatine Baylor should beryllium bully preparation.

8. Atlanta Dream: Elizabeth Kitley

Virginia Tech Hokies | halfway | 6-foot-6 | senior

There is nary warrant that existent centers tin marque the modulation from assemblage to today's WNBA. But Kitley, ACC subordinate of the twelvemonth past season, has things successful her favor. Last season, she averaged 18.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks; she had 4 oregon much blocks connected 9 occasions. Kitley has to get stronger and possibly a spot feistier to beryllium a morganatic low-block menace and rim protector successful the WNBA, but she has steadily improved successful her clip with the Hokies.

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Jacy Sheldon makes a saccharine dish

9. Seattle Storm: Jacy Sheldon

Ohio State Buckeyes | defender | 6-foot-2 | senior

Any defender successful the aforesaid league arsenic Iowa's Caitlin Clark is apt to beryllium overshadowed. But support an oculus connected Sheldon: She has a amusive fearlessness successful her drives to the handbasket and her opportunistic defense. Doing these things get a batch harder successful the WNBA. But past season, she averaged 19.7 PPG portion shooting 50.4% from the tract and recorded astir 2 steals per game.

10. Connecticut Sun: Ashley Joens

Iowa State Cyclones | forward/guard | 6-foot-1 | senior

The fifth-year elder has won the Cheryl Miller Award the past 2 play and takes pridefulness successful being a hardworking subordinate who volition bash thing to assistance her team. Iowa State has not had galore alums win successful the WNBA (defense is often an issue), though Joens' erstwhile teammate, Bridget Carleton (Lynx), has recovered a spot. Joens played a batch of 3-on-3 implicit this summer, and what she learned determination could assistance her modulation to the pro game.

11. Dallas Wings: Madi Williams

Oklahoma Sooners | guardant | 6-foot-0 | senior

The fifth-year elder flourished past play successful the violative strategy of caller manager Jennie Baranczyk, averaging 18.0 points. In fact, Williams has been beardown connected discourtesy her full Sooners vocation and she has an fantabulous motor. Defense is neither her nor Oklahoma's strength, but she is simply a dependable rebounder (7.5 RPG past season).

12. Minnesota Lynx: Celeste Taylor

Duke Blue Devils | defender | 5-foot-11 | senior

After spending her archetypal 2 seasons astatine Texas, Taylor transferred and averaged 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Blue Devils. Learning defence nether Longhorns manager Vic Schaefer helped her, and it's thing she brought to Duke. Taylor has plentifulness of areas she tin amended connected arsenic a elder -- reducing turnovers is 1 -- and if she does, she could get into the archetypal round.