by Chloe Peterson
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever ended their season with a win Sunday afternoon — a fitting end to a year of improvement.
While the Fever missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season, the franchise is showing signs of life for the first time since Tamika Catchings retired in 2016.
Here are some thoughts on the Fever following their 13-27 campaign (an eight-win improvement from last season):
Aliyah Boston is a franchise player
Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first — in her rookie season, Aliyah Boston has proved she has the chops to be a franchise player. She immediately rejuvenated the Fever’s offense, becoming Indiana’s first rookie All-Star starter since Catchings in 2002.
In her rookie season, Boston averaged 14.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, including 11 double-doubles. She broke various rookie records, including field goals made, blocks, and rebounds.
Even when she wasn’t scoring, her strong presence in the low post opened up the floor for teammates. Boston frequently drew double teams, freeing up Kelsey Mitchell (led the Fever with 18.1 points per game) and forward NaLyssa Smith (15.4 points per game).
The 2023 No. 1 pick, who has earned three WNBA rookie of the month honors, is all but a lock for Rookie of the Year.
And she will be the face of the Fever franchise for years to come.
Slowly rebuilding
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
No matter how you look at this season, the Fever vastly improved through 2023.
Yes, the team took too long to jell together. But Indiana hit double-digit victories this season for the first time since 2019, and more than that, the Fever were competitive in most of their games. They took the New York Liberty to overtime (off a 3-pointer from Boston, no less) in July, and 17 of their losses were within 10 points.
Sure, the Fever didn’t convert on those games, and a loss looks the same in the record books. But Indiana is improving, and it shows.
Some of their best performances, funny enough, may have come after they were eliminated from postseason contention. One game after they were eliminated, Indiana returned to Dallas (the team that eliminated them) on Sept. 3 and gritted out a 97-84 overtime win. The Fever went 5-3 over their final eight games of the season, and in the finale Sunday, Indiana posted a convincing win over playoff-bound Minnesota, 87-72, to match their best win total since Catchings retired.
One more piece (could it be Caitlin Clark?)
What the Fever really need for 2024 is a high-level draft pick that can make an immediate impact.
Indiana currently has the best odds to land the No. 1 pick, but that hasn’t necessarily guaranteed the top spot.
Since 2016, Indiana has had the best odds in the WNBA draft three times (not including the 2024 draft) but got the No. 1 pick for the first time in 2023, selecting Boston. If the Fever actually received the top pick in 2019 or 2022, they could’ve had Sabrina Ionescu or Rhyne Howard — both game-changing players.
In 2024, Indiana could get the best player in college basketball: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. The reigning National Player of the year is a juggernaut on the court, at times seemingly single-handedly willing her team to victory.
With one season left in college, Clark already holds the NCAA record for career triple-doubles with 11. She averaged 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists in her junior season, sweeping the national player of the year awards.
For the Fever to actually get her though, two things need to happen: first, they need to get the No. 1 pick, and second, Clark needs to decide to go to pro. Although 2023-24 is her senior season, she can decide to return to college for a fifth year in 2024-25 because all 2020-21 NCAA athletes received an extra year of eligibility because of COVID.
Not only is Clark the best potential player in the draft, she is also perfect for the Fever’s needs. Indiana desperately needs another 3-point shooter, a shot creator, and assist machine in the backcourt, and Clark checks all of those boxes.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star