Indiana Fever Would Be Fitting WNBA Landing Spot For Iowa's Caitlin Clark
The ping pong balls bounced in favor of the Indiana Fever on Sunday night. For a second straight year, the franchise will have the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, which likely means Iowa star Caitlin Clark will begin her professional career in Indianapolis.
It would be a fitting first stop, wouldn't it? There's no state obsessed with basketball quite like Indiana. Landing the 2023 (and potentially 2024) National Player of the Year in women's college basketball would undoubtedly generate even more excitement about the Fever's future.
Clark remains undecided about her plans after this season. It won't be until after Iowa's season concludes that the superstar announces whether she'll return to college for a fifth year or declares for the WNBA Draft.
As much as Indiana would love to add Clark to the roster with the No. 1 overall pick, Fever general manager Lin Dunn said she's not going to beg anyone to declare.
"Historically, we haven't had these players that have had a fifth year, so it leaves a little bit of question marks with who we might be able to get," Dunn said. "In the past, you already knew. Everybody was a senior and there was no more eligibility.
"I would imagine that our pool of potential top draft picks, whoever they might be, we'll definitely see them play in person. And our approach will be just like it was with Aliyah Boston — you have to do what you need to do. You have to do what's best for you. We're not gonna beg anybody to come out. We're not gonna coerce anybody to come out. That's just the way it is."
Make no mistake, although Dunn didn't mention Clark by name, she will be a big name in the aforementioned "pool of potential draft picks."
Indiana has assembled a strong, young and exciting team. Last year, they picked up Boston with the No. 1 overall pick and added former Indiana standout Grace Berger later in the first round. Former Baylor star, NaLyssa Smith, joined the team as the No. 2 pick in 2022.
The core is intact. It just needs more punch.
Clark would give the Fever roster a dynamic scorer. She's accounted for more than 3,000 points in her career and has never shot below 45% from the floor in a season.
Basketball fans in Indiana are already well acquainted with Clark's tenacity. She had a bit of a rivalry with the Hoosiers last season. The first appearance, Iowa fell short in Assembly Hall, despite a 35-point, 10-assist performance from the superstar.
Just a few weeks later, Clark hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to push the Hawkeyes to an 86-85 victory over the Hoosiers in Iowa City.
Indiana won the Big Ten regular season title. Iowa claimed the Big Ten Tournament and earned an eventual trip to the national championship.
Native Hoosiers would love to have a player of that caliber in Indy.
As crazy as Indiana is about basketball, the Fever has been a doormat in the WNBA for nearly a decade. The last playoff appearance came in 2016. The team's only league title was won in 2012.
If Clark declares for the draft and Indiana takes the Iowa superstar with the No. 1 pick, the future looks incredibly bright. Dunn knows exactly what it could mean for the franchise.
"Fortunately, I've had that experience with two, back-to-back first round picks," Dunn said, reflecting on her time with the Seattle Storm. "It's been a long time, but I know what an impact it can have on a franchise, when we were able to select Lauren Jackson (2001) and Sue Bird (2002). The rest is history."
Seattle has won four WNBA championships since landing those two draft picks. A similar run could be in store for the Fever if Clark declares at the end of the season.
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