Indiana Fever roster: How Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston could team up for future WNBA powerhouse | Sporting News
After leading all of women’s D-I college basketball in points and assists per game in her senior season, Clark is the type of prolific playmaker who is all but certain to be selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft.
As winners of the 2024 WNBA Draft lottery, the Indiana Fever are on the clock, and it just so happens that Clark’s skill set fits perfectly with franchise player and 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston.
What else is there to know about Clark’s likely WNBA team? The Sporting News breaks down the Fever’s roster, 2023 record, and more below.
Indiana Fever 2023 record
The Fever finished the 2023 season with a 13-27 record, which was actually only the third worst in the league.
However, since the WNBA combines each team’s record from the previous two seasons to determine the draft lottery odds, Indiana still had the best chance to land the No. 1 pick with a league-worst 18-58 mark over 2022 and ’23.
Reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston was the good luck charm that the Fever needed her to be, serving as as Indiana’s representative at the draft lottery back in December.
Indiana Fever roster
No. Player Age Position Height School/Country
34 Grace Berger 24 G 6-0 Indiana
7 Aliyah Boston 22 F/C 6-5 South Carolina
11 Maya Caldwell 25 G 5-11 Georgia
12 Damiris Dantas 31 F 6-3 Brazil
14 Temi Fagbenie 31 C 6-4 USC
10 Lexi Hull 24 G 6-1 Stanford
0 Kelsey Mitchell 28 G 5-8 Ohio State
33 Katie Lou Samuelson 26 F 6-3 UConn
5 Victaria Saxton 24 F 6-2 South Carolina
1 NaLyssa Smith 23 F 6-4 Baylor
35 Victoria Vivians 29 G 6-1 Mississippi St.
3 Kristy Wallace 28 G 5-11 Baylor
17 Erica Wheeler 32 G 5-7 Rutgers
42 Amanda Zhaui B. 30 C 6-5 Sweden
The Fever’s roster is headlined by Boston, who averaged 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks during her rookie season. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick earned an All-Star selection in her first season in addition to being named Rookie of the Year.
Kelsey Mitchell joined Boston on the All-Star team as Indiana’s leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points per game. NaLyssa Smith enjoyed a breakout season in which she averaged 15.5 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds.
The Fever’s biggest offseason acquisition was Katie Lou Samuelson, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft out of UConn.
It didn’t take long for the Fever — and their players — to catch wind of the news that Clark declared for the draft.
The franchise’s X page, formerly known as Twitter, posted “No. 1” with an hourglass emoji moments after Clark’s announcement.
Veteran guard Erica Wheeler claims she’s already receiving ticket requests from friends and family, while Boston was prepping for her next braid color.
Clark somewhat acknowledged her future, liking the Fever’s cryptic post just after she declared.
How does Caitlin Clark fit with Fever, Aliyah Boston
Clark is one of the best scorers and passers NCAA women’s basketball has ever seen. She has improved her playmaking averages in all four seasons at Iowa, posting 28.3 points and 8.1 assists per game for her career.
Where Clark separates herself from other scorers is her limitless range. Clark is averaging 5.4 3-pointers as a senior, converting 13.6 (!) attempts per game at an efficient 39.5 percent clip.
Since she’s in range almost the moment she steps over halfcourt, that will only extend opposing defenses to free up space for her teammates.
Mitchell — who has averaged over 18 points per game over the past two seasons while shooting 40.3 percent from 3 in that span — will receive less defensive attention than ever before.
Boston was already a problem in the paint as a scorer and rebounder during her rookie season, and now, she’ll only have more room to operate. Opponents won’t have the option to send double teams her way as often with
two shooters like Clark and Mitchell on the perimeter.
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