The Fever's free agency moves definitely indicate the team is in the process of building a championship-caliber team around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the team's most recent draft selections (in 2024 and 2023, respectively).
In a lot of ways, this year's WNBA Draft isn't really that crucial to the Fever's goals. The team doesn't have a pick until the second round when they have the 19th and 20th selections, and with cap space as tight as it is, it's not immediately clear that the team will retain any rookies that they bring on board.
This doesn't have to be to a rookie's detriment — just getting drafted to a WNBA team automatically raises a player's potential earnings overseas. The Fever can also retain a player's rights while they play overseas this year, which gives them the ability to bring a player back over to the States in the future — perhaps after a trophy has been won.
Who the Fever should target first in this year's draft
The Fever have a lot of options at the 19 and 20 spots, and there's one player who has been one of the most instrumental players for Iowa after Clark left: Lucy Olsen, who transferred to the school from Villanova ahead of this season.
For starters, Olsen (who ranked third in scoring last year) was a major part of how and why the team fought back from a 5-game losing streak in January. In an interview with Hawkeyes Wire, Olsen said the team is right on track. "Yeah, I think we're hitting it at the right spot," she said. "Coach Jan has always said, 'Be your best in March.' And, I think we're doing just that. The beginning was a little wonky, but we figured that out and I'm excited. Momentum's on our side right now."
Aliyah asking Jan about Lucy Olsen 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/OxdFUD2YCF
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) March 2, 2025
Jansen has also praised Olsen as "courageous." In an interview with Aliyah Boston, Jansen added, "She came in through the shadows of Caitlin Clark, and when she came here, she really liked what that culture felt like."
Olsen has also been a fan favorite all season and that's in large part due to her skills on the court. She's a strong defender who has averaged 18.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks this season and will help lead Iowa into the Big Ten Conference this month before the team returns to the NCAA tournament. Though her 3-point shooting was really the only flaw in her game for much of last year, she averaged 48-49% at the 3 in the team's last 5 games — a clear demonstration of her ability to adapt and grow quickly.
Even if Olsen only gets to enjoy a short stint in the league she will be all the stronger for it, especially if she gets to spend some time learning from the seriously impressive group of vets the Fever have on the roster this season. Whether she's overseas or in Indianapolis this season, it's clear Olsen has a bright future in professional women's basketball ahead of her.