The Indiana Fever are getting prepped for the 2025 WNBA Draft — and despite what fans might think, considering the team won't be able to pick up any new players until the second round, there are plenty of schemes being worked out behind the scenes.
At least, that's what Fever general manager Amanda Cox and president Kelly Krauskopf told reporters. When it comes to putting together a draft board, "You think about best available," the Indy Star noted Cox as having explained.
"You’re kind of at the mercy of what every other team is going to do, so you really build out your board and say, ‘This is our list, and what happens on draft night happens on draft night,’ and you get the best available in here," she added.
Who the Indiana Fever could draft in 2025
The Indiana Fever have three selections in the 2025 WNBA Draft: No. 19, No. 20, and No. 33. The minimum rookie contract this season is $66,079, which means the team may not be able to bring all three rookies on board this year (Spotrac has the Fever dead last in terms of available cap space ahead of the draft —the site reports Indiana has $112,073 left and it's possible they aren't finished making free agency moves yet).
There several athletes who are likely to still be undrafted by the time the second round kicks off, and the Fever would be wise to take advantage of that even if the team can't keep rookies on the roster this season.
One of those players is Annika Soltau, who is from Germany. At 6'4" it's not difficult to understand Soltau's appeal – after all, as they say, you can't coach height. But Soltau brings a lot more to the game than her size. At 19 she hit 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 14 minutes against the USA at the Nike Hoop Summit in 2024. As women's basketball continues to expand in Europe, being drafted by the Fever in the second round would give Soltau the opportunity to learn at the highest level, something that will benefit her now and European teammates in the future.
Another player the Fever should take a close look at is Aaliyah Nye from Alabama. At 6'0", Nye has been a key part of the Crimson Tide's team since transferring ahead of the 2022-23 season. Nye is known for her three-point shooting (which Fever fans certainly love to see) and her abilities as a central role player. In March she set the school record for the most 3-pointers in one game when she hit 9 against Florida. Drafting Nye at the No. 33 spot would be a steal and would give the Fever the option to allow her to develop overseas for a few seasons before bringing her back to the US following CBA negotiations.