NEW YORK (AP) — Aliyah Boston has been the consensus No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft all season.
The Indiana Fever, who own the top choice, just had to wait for the South Carolina star to make it official she was going to enter this year’s draft. Boston had the chance to return to South Carolina for her COVID season, but opted to enter Monday night’s draft instead. “I think Aliyah Boston is a legitimate first pick option,” Fever general manager Lin Dunn said on a conference call. “I’ve watched her play very closely this year. Her size, her basketball IQ, her character, her leadership skills. She just brings an enormous amount to the table, and I really think she’s going to have — whether she’s picked first, second or third, she’s going to have an immediate impact on this league.”
Boston was a three-time All-America selection and earned AP Player of the Year honors in 2022 as a junior. She, like many other players, have had to choose whether to come back to college for a fifth season or turn pro. It created a buzz over the last few weeks whether a player would forgo their extra year or return to school.
Players had until March 26 to declare their intentions if their season was over. Those that were still playing in the NCAA Tournament had 48 hours after their final game to decide.
“It does make our world a little more complex,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a phone interview. “If I could have a fifth year, I would have definitely played. There wasn’t a WNBA back then. They have a loyalty to college, loyalty to fans. I see why you might want to do it. I know narratives about pay. They are competitors, they have loyalty to their schools. It has complicated our life a little bit, not knowing who’s going to come in.”