WNBA Draft: South Carolina's Aliyah Boston goes No. 1 to Indiana Fever
South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, right, poses for a photo with commissioner Cathy Engelbert after the Indiana Fever selected her first overall in the WNBA Draft om Monday. Credit: AP/Adam Hunger
Aliyah Boston and Destanni Henderson’s joyful screams filled Spring Studios.
It was a little after 7:15 Monday night, and Boston had been selected with the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever, who employs her one-time South Carolina teammate. As she walked through the hallway to the press conference, Boston spied Henderson.
“She [said] we’re reunited and we’re teammates again,” Boston said.
It’s a safe bet that Henderson and the Fever are looking forward to playing with Boston, who was a three-time first-team All-American and won the Naismith defensive player of the year twice.
In her four years with the Gamecocks, Boston averaged 14.1 points and 10.8 rebounds in 138 games, starting all of them. The 6-5 forward averaged 13 points, 9.8 rebounds and shot 55.9% in 37 games this season.
“Being confident,” Boston said, when asked what she brings to the Fever. “Also the physicality that I bring just trying to be a dominant post player.”
Minnesota used the second pick on Maryland guard Diamond Miller. Dallas selected Villanova forward Maddy Siegrist, then acquired Stephanie Soares from Washington shortly after the Mystics selected the Iowa State big with the fourth pick. Dallas then took UConn’s Lou Lopez Senechal with the fifth pick.
The picks of Haley Jones (Atlanta), Grace Berger (Indiana), Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta), Jordan Horston (Seattle), Zia Cooke (Los Angeles), Abby Meyers (Dallas), and Maia Hirsch (Minnesota) finished the first round.
The Liberty selected Okako Adika from Southern California with the 30th pick (third round) of the draft.
“Okako Adika is a promising talent who we’re really excited about,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. “As a versatile 3-and-D wing with familiarity in a pro-style offense, she’s someone who we can really use down the line.”
About 90 minutes before the draft, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert gave her state-of-the-league address. During the half-hour question-and-answer session, Englebert said expansion is in the league’s plans but would not commit to a timetable for the addition of new franchises.
Currently the league has 12 teams.
“I’d love to bring in at least two teams over the next few years and maybe longer term four,” Engelbert said.
It is likely that Portland and Toronto are on the short list for expansion. Engelbert already visited Portland, and is planning a trip to Toronto, which will host a preseason game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto – home of the NBA’s Raptors and the NHL’s Maple Leafs – on May 13 between the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx. It will be the first WNBA game in Canada, and the league’s first international game since 2011. Engelbert said the league is expecting a sellout crowd for the game.
