The WNBA draft is here, and it’s time to welcome the next era of women’s professional basketball players. The draft begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, and there’s been much talk leading up to it over who might go where.
UConn Huskies Star Paige Bueckers is widely projected to be taken with the first overall pick by the Dallas Wings. As for the Indiana Fever, they won’t have a first-round pick Monday night after dealing it in the Sophie Cunningham trade. Instead, they’ll pick 19th, 20th, and 33rd.
Eric Nemchock on SB Nation created a full mock draft for all 38 picks, and at No. 33, his prediction felt pretty significant despite being all the way down in the third round.
He has the Fever going with Iowa Hawkeyes guard Lucy Olsen. If that’s the direction Indiana goes, Olsen would become the second former Hawkeye to join the Fever.
The Fever drafted Caitlin Clark first overall in last year’s draft, and she went on to have arguably the greatest rookie season in WNBA history — earning All-Star honors, a spot on the All-WNBA First Team, Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, and finishing as the league leader in assists.
Unfortunately, Olsen didn’t get the opportunity to play with Clark at Iowa because she transferred in after the Fever star left. Olsen played three seasons at Villanova before moving to Iowa City for her senior year.
Former Iowa guard Lucy Olsen (left) watches Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement.
© Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Nemchock thinks “Indiana could draft her to add depth behind Caitlin Clark and Sydney Colson.”
“With the way the Fever’s offseason has gone, there’s a chance whichever player they choose this late in the draft can still make the team — especially if it’s a guard,” Nemchock said. “In her lone season at Iowa, Olsen led the Hawkeyes in both points (17.9) and assists per game (5.1), shooting 35 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts per game. If she’s still around at pick No. 33, Indiana could draft her to add depth behind Caitlin Clark and Sydney Colson.”
