The Indiana Fever had to endure a lot of losing to get to where they are now. All the struggles were eventually rewarded with two top picks in the WNBA Draft. The Fever got incredibly lucky when they landed the number one pick in the 2023 draft and selected Aliyah Boston. Boston has already established herself as an All-Star and one of the best young bigs in the game.
Then, the Fever got lucky again and won the number-one pick in 2024, selecting college phenom Caitlin Clark. As it turns out, the Fever got even luckier than most fans knew.
Caitlin Clark recently appeared on an episode of New Heights, chatting with NFL players Travis and Jason Kelce. During that conversation, Clark addressed her decision to leave college and go to the WNBA after four seasons at Iowa.
Clark reveals she considered staying in college for another year
Due to COVID-19, Caitlin Clark was eligible to return to Iowa for a fifth season and apparently really considered the option early on.
“It’s college, you’re there with your friends, and the game is just easier,” she said on New Heights when asked about how much she truly considered the option to stay in college for another season. “You don’t want that chapter of your life to end,” she added later.
And yet, Clark decided that it was time to leave college and take her game to the next level by declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Fever caught another break.
The 2024 WNBA Draft was filled with star potential other than Clark, from Cameron Brink to Angel Reese to Rickea Jackson. Clark is not the only one in that draft class who will make a name for herself in the WNBA. But she is certainly the most famous one at this moment. Clark was just named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year and pushed the Indiana Fever into the national spotlight while fitting seamlessly with the franchise’s number-one pick from the previous year.
Just one season into her pro career, Clark already led the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016. Now, the organization is gearing up for contention, trying to find the right pieces to put around Clark and Boston to take the team to the next level.
If Clark had decided to stay in college for another season, the Fever would look much different. They still would have landed a great player but not a generational talent like Clark, who fits in well with Boston. The only other guard who was selected in the top five of the 2024 WNBA Draft was Jacy Sheldon, and Clark is already miles ahead of her in her development.
If the Fever had not landed Clark in last year’s draft, they probably would not have made the playoffs and would not be as confident in their ability to win a title in the next few years.