Getting the draft right can be a challenge sometimes. After all, it is never guaranteed that a player’s skill set will translate to the professional level or that they can figure things out quickly enough to hold on to one of the limited roster spots in the WNBA.
The Indiana Fever got lucky with the draft lately, securing two consecutive number-one picks. With those picks, the Fever selected Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. Both have already established themselves as All-Stars and some of the most talented young players in the WNBA.
But, like every other team, the Fever have not always made the perfect decision in every WNBA Draft. In some instances, they painfully passed on drafting future All-Stars.
4. Napheesa Collier
In 2019, the Indiana Fever drafted Teaira McCowan with the third overall pick. McCowan had established herself as a great defensive talent in college, being named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and WBCA Defensive Player of the Year. She was widely projected to be a top pick in the WNBA Draft, and the Fever made that expectation a reality.
Since then, McCowan has been a solid starting center but never quite emerged as an All-Star, and the Fever traded her for a bunch of draft picks after three seasons. The 2019 WNBA Draft has produced four All-Stars so far. Three of them were still available when the Fever made their pick.
Napheesa Collier, another frontcourt player, went sixth to the Minnesota Lynx. Collier has been a four-time All-Star, was named to two All-WNBA First Teams, won the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award, and just led her team to the WNBA Finals. She is one of the best two-way players in the game, but the Fever ultimately decided to pass on her in the draft.
Considering her performance in college and the expectations surrounding her game, drafting McCowan was not a bad choice. But the Fever did miss out on some unique stars that year.
3. Arike Ogunbowale
In the 2019 WNBA Draft, the Indiana Fever were the only team to select a center in the top five of the draft. They may not have been looking for a guard, but passing on Arike Ogunbowale must sting at times.
While Teaira McCowan has put together a successful WNBA career so far, Ogunbowale has undoubtedly established herself as the bigger star. The Dallas Wings may not have seen too much playoff success since drafting Ogunbowale, but she has made quite a name for herself.
Since 2019, Ogunbowale has been an All-Star four times, won two All-Star Game MVP awards for her performances against Team USA, was named to three All-WNBA Teams, and led the league in scoring in 2020 and in steals in 2024.
2. Tiffany Hayes
Picking towards the end of the first round is never easy. By then, most of the sure-fire talent is already gone, and it’s a bit of a gamble. In 2012, the Indian Fever drafted Sasha Goodlett eleventh overall. Goodlett was on the Fever’s 2012 championship roster but barely played and only suited up for 101 WNBA games in her career.
In the WNBA, it is rare to see a second-round pick grow into an All-Star, but Tiffany Hayes did just that, and she was drafted just three spots after the Fever selected Goodlett. Hayes may only have been an All-Star once in 2017, but she was also named to the All-Defensive Second Team and All-WNBA First Team in 2018 and won the Sixth Woman of the Year award in 2024 after coming out of retirement for the Las Vegas Aces.
More importantly, however, Hayes has played 12 successful WNBA seasons at this point of her career—ten of them with the team that drafted her.
1. Jasmine Thomas
Once again picking later in the first round, the Fever missed out on WNBA All-Star and All-Defensive Team member Jasmine Thomas. The Fever drafted Jeanette Pohlen ninth overall. Pohlen made her living as a capable 3-point shooter and played significant minutes on the Fever’s 2012 championship team.
After that, her career took a turn for the worse, however. After suffering a serious injury, Pohlen was waived by the Fever in 2014, a trend that would define the rest of her career. Once she recovered, she returned to the Fever a year later but was once again waived in 2016 before coming back to Indiana on seven-day contracts that ultimately earned her another chance. Nevertheless, Pohlen was waived once again in 2018 and did not return to the WNBA.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Thomas, another guard drafted only a few spots behind Pohlen, went on to become an All-Star and a productive WNBA player. Over her 13 seasons in the league, Thomas was named an All-Star once in 2017 and made five All-Defensive Teams. She may not have been a superstar or frequent competitor in the All-Star game, but she had a successful career and could have provided the Fever with a steady contributor.