WNBA teams with consecutive No. 1 picks win titles. Fever may have next championship duo.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever are on the right side of WNBA history with its second straight No. 1 pick.
This is the fourth time in the league’s 26-year history a team has had the top pick in consecutive years.
Indiana selected Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 pick in 2023, and then won the top pick for 2024 during December's draft lottery. On Thursday, Iowa star Caitlin Clark (and presumed top pick) officially declared for the WNBA draft. Clark, the all-time leading scorer in women's college basketball, is averaging 32 points per game as a senior.
So what happens when a WNBA team had two (or more) consecutive No. 1 picks?
It first happened, coincidentally, when Fever general manager Lin Dunn was GM of the Seattle Storm. The Storm had the No. 1 pick in 2001 and ‘02, picking Lauren Jackson, then Sue Bird.
Two years later, in 2004, the Storm won their first WNBA championship and won another championship six years later, in 2010.
The Storm again got back-to-back top picks in 2015 and ‘16, selecting Jewell Loyd, then Breanna Stewart. Both Loyd and Stewart were the Rookie of the Year in their respective debut seasons.
Bird, Loyd, and Stewart ended up leading the Storm to two more championships in 2018 and ‘20. Bird retired following the 2022 season, and Stewart left the Storm in free agency to the New York Liberty, but Loyd is still a cornerstone in Seattle.
The third time a franchise had consecutive No. 1 picks was the Las Vegas Aces, who had three in a row. The first came in 2017, when Kelsey Plum was drafted to the San Antonio Stars. Then, the Stars franchise moved to Las Vegas. The Aces had the No. 1 picks in both 2018 and ‘19, drafting A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young.
Three years later, the Aces were 2022 WNBA champions, and Wilson was the league MVP. Las Vegas repeated as champs in 2023, and Wilson was MVP again. All three of those players are still on the Aces, and they’re creating a dynasty in the desert.
So, teams with consecutive No. 1 picks won a championship no more than three years later. With Boston and Clark in Indianapolis, the Fever could start creating a dynasty, too. It won't be easy, though. Indiana hasn't made the playoffs since Tamika Catchings retired after the 2016 season.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Adding Caitlin Clark to Aliyah Boston gives Indiana Fever title hopes
