Back-to-back draft picks have historically equaled quick championship success in the WNBA. The Storm won a title in 2004 after drafting Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird first overall in 2001 and 2002, respectively. They also won titles in 2018 and 2020 after landing Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart with the top picks in the 2015 and 2016 drafts. The Las Vegas Aces drafted A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young in 2018 and 2019, respectively, after the franchise picked Kelsey Plum first when it was still the San Antonio Stars in 2017. They made the finals in 2020 and won their first title in 2022.
The Indiana Fever are now in their third season with Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, their back-to-back number-one picks in 2023 and 2024. Unlike those other teams, they haven’t made it out of the second round yet and aren’t particularly close to looking like legitimate championship contenders consistently.
Landing Boston and Clark with consecutive lottery wins should have given the Fever a chance to build a contender by now. Besides some roster issues, the Fever face one major question: How do you break into the championship race with two young stars if the team that had consecutive number-one picks before you built one of the most dominant dynasties in league history?
The Fever haven’t been able to figure out the Aces in the playoffs yet
A’ja Wilson led the Aces to a Game 3 victory that ended the Fever’s season with a dominant 36-point double-double.
After the game, she said, “Regular season’s cute. I know, that’s so cute, oh my god, everyone can come see us, but this is the moment where everyone should be at. This is the moment that we live for.”
The Fever played the Aces well in the regular season, and, just like last year, they were right there with them for most of their playoff series. And yet, as close as they have been, they just can’t get past the Aces’ experience and ability to execute in high-pressure situations.
Even after three championships in four years, four MVP awards on Wilson’s resume, and a trade that sent out Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas is the team to beat. Until the Fever can figure out how to overcome them in the playoffs, they will not find the type of success other teams have had with their back-to-back number-one picks. Seasons in which the Fever can avoid the Aces in the playoffs or Las Vegas doesn’t make it to the finals will be rare as long as Wilson is the best player in the world.
The Fever got lucky with back-to-back top picks coming to Indiana, but the timing wasn’t ideal. They got their young superstars when Wilson and the Aces are at the height of their powers.
Of course, the Aces’ existence isn’t the only reason Clark and Boston haven’t made it to the finals yet. Clark missed most of last season, and the roster has some glaring holes in the role-player department. But the fact that Wilson and the Aces continue to dominate the league just doesn’t leave much room for a new team to break into the championship race, especially if they keep running into the Aces early in the playoffs and cannot gain experience over a longer playoff run.
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