Boston goes No. 1 to Fever; Lynx take Miller 2nd

NEW YORK — The Indiana Fever chosen former South Carolina star and 2022 Naismith Participant of the Yr Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 general choose within the 2023 WNBA draft on Monday night time at New York Metropolis’s Spring Studios.

Boston — a 6-foot-5 ahead who grew up in St. Thomas within the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier than transferring to Massachusetts as a teen to pursue her basketball dream — grew to become the second high general select of South Carolina, becoming a member of two-time league MVP A’ja Wilson in 2018.

“It is actually particular, I am grateful to God for placing me on this place,” Boston mentioned. “Everybody in Indiana, they noticed one thing in me, I am able to get there and get to work.”

Maryland’s Diamond Miller was chosen second by the Minnesota Lynx, whereas Maddy Siegrist grew to become Villanova’s highest-ever WNBA draft choose at No. 3, going to the Dallas Wings. Large East commissioner Val Ackerman, who was the WNBA’s first president, sat with Siegrist.

The Wings additionally drafted UConn guard Lou Lopez Senechal two picks later. She had transferred to UConn after a stellar profession at Fairfield.

“It feels surreal, actually did not suppose I would be right here,” Senechal mentioned. “I’ve come a good distance, gone by way of a whole lot of challenges.”

Stephanie Soares of Iowa State went fourth to Washington. The Mystics rapidly traded her to Dallas quickly after choosing the 6-foot-7 heart. Washington received again a future first- and second-round choose. That is the fourth 12 months the Mystics have traded one in every of their first-round picks.

“It was a really fascinating feeling,” Soares mentioned. “Pure pleasure going to Washington, however now attending to go to Dallas. It should be an important subsequent step to the journey.”

Soares tore her ACL in January and can miss the upcoming WNBA season.

Stanford guard Haley Jones went sixth to the Atlanta Dream, who additionally drafted Boston’s South Carolina teammate, Laeticia Amihere, at No. 8 general.

The Fever chosen Boston with the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 general choose, a second of celebration for a company that has languished for the reason that retirement of legend Tamika Catchings in 2016.

Indiana has missed the postseason annually since — the longest lively playoff drought within the league — and is coming off a 5-31 marketing campaign in 2022. The Fever employed Christie Sides as their new head coach this offseason and eliminated the interim tag for basic supervisor Lin Dunn.

Thought-about a attainable franchise participant within the making, Boston was a four-year difference-maker in Columbia, the place she propelled the Gamecocks to a few consecutive Last 4 appearances and the 2022 nationwide title. She was named Most Excellent Participant of the Last 4 throughout that match, whereas additionally incomes three first-team All-American choices, two SEC Participant of the Yr honors, and 4 Lisa Leslie heart of the 12 months awards all through her adorned profession.

“She’s nice. She’s prepared,” South Carolina coach Daybreak Staley mentioned of Boston on the 2023 Last 4. “She has been the cornerstone of our program for the previous 4 years. She elevated us. She raised the usual of the best way to strategy basketball. She’s by no means had a foul day. She’s by no means come into observe sulking. She’s at all times simply the individual that you noticed so very, very constant.

“I slept very properly understanding she was with our program, and I will sleep properly understanding that she’s OK and she or he will certainly make her mark on the subsequent stage.”

“I feel Aliyah Boston is a reputable first choose choice,” Dunn mentioned within the week main as much as the draft. “I’ve watched her play very carefully this 12 months. Her dimension, her basketball IQ, her character, her management expertise. She simply brings an unlimited quantity to the desk … she’s going to have a direct affect on this league, and I am simply grateful — I feel all of us are — that she opted to come back into the draft and did not use her fifth COVID 12 months.”

Boston joins a younger group in Indianapolis that includes 2022 No. 2 general choose NaLyssa Smith out of Baylor, and Boston’s former teammate from South Carolina, Destanni Henderson.

The Fever additionally held the seventh choose which they used to draft Indiana’s Grace Berger, who grew to become the primary participant chosen within the first spherical in Hoosiers program historical past.

The Seattle Storm, who not too long ago misplaced Sue Chook to retirement and Breanna Stewart to free company, chosen Tennessee’s Jordan Horston at No. 9.

Zia Cooke grew to become the third South Carolina participant chosen within the first spherical, going to the Los Angeles Sparks at No. 10. This marks simply the tenth time that any faculty has had three or extra gamers chosen within the first spherical (final time: Oregon in 2020).

Dallas took Maryland’s Abby Meyers eleventh, and Minnesota completed out the primary spherical by choosing Maia Hirsch of France.

ESPN Stats & Data and The Related Press contributed to this report.