INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time in a while, the Indiana Fever will need to practice patience on draft night.
The past two years, the decision on who they should draft with their first-round pick has been simple. Both Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark were presumed No. 1 picks before they even played their senior season. The Fever made the easy choice of picking those two with their consecutive No. 1 picks in 2023 and 2024.
In 2025, there’s much less certainty with the Fever picking No. 8 pick in April’s draft — their lowest first-round pick since 2017. They could use it on a potential starting forward, they could use it for a depth piece or they could trade it for an experienced forward.
More: Fever president talks Kelsey Mitchell future, NaLyssa Smith frustrations, needed additions
Fever president Kelly Krauskopf has emphasized the need for experience in the starting lineup, and you don’t get that in the draft. Expect the Fever to prioritize a veteran forward at the four spot in their starting lineup. The No. 8 pick, if it’s not used in a trade package, will be used to provide depth to a strong core already in place.
Here are some players that jump out from the 2025 WNBA draft pool:
Janiah Barker, forward, UCLA
Barker is technically going into her true junior year after transferring from Texas A&M to UCLA for 2024-25, but she is eligible for the 2025 draft as she will be 22 in the calendar year.
Barker is part of a preseason top-5 UCLA team that includes fellow post Lauren Betts and guard Kiki Rice, and the Bruins are projected to be a national title contender.
Barker has been compared to Fever forward NaLyssa Smith, but what the 6-4 Bruin has shown differently is her defensive versatility in the college game — something Indiana desperately needs. She can stretch the floor with midrange jumpers and 3-pointers, averaging 12.2 points a game with a 23-of-67 clip from 3-point range.
In early mock drafts, Barker’s range has been from No. 2 to No. 8, so the Fever may need a bit of luck here.
Aneesah Morrow, forward, LSU
Another versatile forward that has ranged from No. 5 to out of the first round entirely in mock drafts, Morrow made a lot of strides with LSU this past season, helping lead the Tigers to an Elite Eight appearance after transferring from DePaul.
Morrow is known for her defense and her ability to chase and contest nearly any shot, as well as being an elite rebounder with 11.6 rebounds per game throughout the three-year career. With LSU, her offensive abilities took a leap in 2023-24.
Playing alongside Angel Reese in the frontcourt, Morrow averaged a double-double for the Tigers in 16.4 points and 10 rebounds per game. With the Fever, putting her with two-time All-Star Aliyah Boston could create an impenetrable frontcourt.
Morrow would need to improve from 3-point range to help the Fever stretch the floor, as she shoots a career 24.3% from beyond the arc.
Maddy Westbeld, forward, Notre Dame
Westbeld decided to take her fifth year with the Irish, who are coming off an ACC Championship and a Sweet 16 run. Westbeld started all 34 games for Notre Dame, averaging 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
The 6-4 forward could be a good depth piece behind Boston and the starting Fever frontcourt, giving Indiana a plus to its help defense. An injury could hamper her draft stock, though, as she announced in September she will be out for the beginning of the 2024-25 season after having surgery for a lingering foot issue.
Sonia Citron, guard, Notre Dame
Another Notre Dame product, Citron would fit in as a wing at the 3-spot, and seems similar to Lexie Hull in multiple ways.
Citron is a sharpshooter from 3-point range (37% for her career) and averaged 17.3 points per game last season, her best year with the Irish.
At 6-1, she is a great rebounder as a guard, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Similar to Hull, Citron is a strong defender that can take on multiple positions.
Saniya Rivers, guard, NC State
Rivers is likely one of the best defenders in this draft, especially as a guard. It’s well-known Indiana, which has spent two straight seasons near the bottom of the WNBA in defensive rating, needs that help.
Rivers was a part of the same South Carolina team that Boston was in 2022, winning a national championship as a freshman before transferring out.
At NC State, Rivers was the ACC Sixth Player of the Year as a sophomore, averaging 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 2022-23. Then, she was a first-team All-ACC and all-defensive team selection as a junior in 2023-24, averaging 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds.
Mocked to go in the first round, she could be an impactful piece for the Fever both in terms of depth and defense.
A trade option: Dallas Wings’ Satou Sabally
Sabally, despite being a free agent this offseason, will likely not see the open market. Her situation is similar to Kelsey Mitchell’s — Sabally hasn’t used up her years of core service with the Wings yet, so Dallas will likely core her.
There’s still a way Indiana could get Sabally, who would fit into the four spot in the Fever’s starting lineup: they could trade for her after Dallas cores her. Sabally has played her entire five-year career for the Wings and averaged 17.9 points in 15 games in 2024 after returning from a shoulder injury. She has a 15.7 points per game career average and could be exactly the type of experienced forward Krauskopf is referring to.
Dallas was in a similar situation in 2020. The team cored Skylar Diggins-Smith, who had already said she didn’t want to play for the franchise anymore. The Wings then traded her to the Mercury for three first-round picks.
Technically, teams aren’t able to have multiple players with core designations at the same time, and Phoenix had already cored Brittney Griner in the 2020 offseason. The trade, however, made it so Diggins-Smith wasn’t a cored player under either roster, but that contract still counted for her years of core service.
Basically, Indiana could core Mitchell and still trade for Sabally without any core-designation repercussions. In money terms, Sabally would likely command a max salary. With Indiana likely giving Mitchell a max salary as well, it could stretch their salary cap, but it is potentially doable with Clark, Boston and Hull still on their rookie deals.
The difficult part, really, would be getting the Wings to agree to a trade. The Wings traded Diggins-Smith because she publicly said the franchise didn’t support her. Sabally hasn’t said anything publicly about any distaste for the Wings franchise, and returned to Dallas on a one-year deal in 2024 as a restricted free agent.
The Fever would likely need to give up their 2024 first-round pick (maybe others) and likely a player. NaLyssa Smith, who has publicly talked about her frustration with her lack of usage with the Fever this season, could be a trade piece, as well. Smith played at nearby Baylor and is from San Antonio.
Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA draft 2025: What Indiana Fever may do with first round pick No. 8
