The 2025 WNBA Draft has been officially wrapped up—and wow, what a night! There were blockbuster picks, expected moves, and a few head-scratchers too. Stars like Paige Bueckers, Hailey Van Lith, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen landed exactly where many fans predicted. Solid fits. Smart choices. No surprises there. But then there were teams that left fans scratching their heads. Case in point? Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever.
The Fever entered the draft with some solid assets—two second-round picks and one in the third. Fans were hopeful. This was their shot at getting some underrated gems to strengthen the bench and build depth. With the number 19 pick, they went with Florida State forward Makayla Timpson. At number 20, they added South Carolina guard Bree Hall. Then, in the third round, they wrapped things up by selecting Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim at number 33 overall.
“I’m so excited [with the Draft results]. Obviously picking in the second and third round, you have to be prepared for multiple scenarios,” said Fever COO and General Manager Amber Cox. “The name of the game tonight was to really shore up our defense, continue to bring in more versatility and continue to add more weapons to this potent offense.”
Amber Cox, Indiana Fever chief operating officer and general manager, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference welcoming Stephanie White as the team’s new head coach.
And that’s exactly what the Fever did. They went all-in on defense—bringing in three solid defenders who can make tough shots when required to bolster their depth. On paper, it made sense. When you already have an elite backcourt like Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell—statistically the most efficient duo in the league last season—adding defense seems like the smart move.
But fans weren’t exactly jumping for joy. They were hoping for some offensive flair. They wanted a spark. And one name kept popping up again and again—Lucy Olsen. She was the fan-favorite heading into the draft. She was available. The stars seemed aligned for the “next Caitlin Clark” to join the Fever. But in the end? It just wasn’t meant to be.
Fans weren’t too thrilled and they definitely let the Fever know. Social media lit up with frustration and confusion as many felt their draft dreams had been ignored. Let’s dive into some of the reactions that made the rounds online.
Fans fume as Fever don’t draft the “next Caitlin Clark”
Fans weren’t holding back and the comparisons came in hot. One frustrated fan wrote. “Bree Hall is a slightly worse pick if you compare Lucy Olsen. If you picked Hall for defensive prowess and 3pt shooting she will be competing with Lexie and Sophie. Lucy Olsen despite having defensive drawbacks was a great facilitator and a 3 level shooter. Lucy is a solid rim and mid level shooter with 3 pt ability. Bree Hall most staggering stat is her assist per game, which dropped from 1.5 to 1.0. The only positive I see is she is close to A. Boston so that is a plus”
Bree Hall is a slightly worse pick if you compare Lucy Olsen. If you picked Hall for defensive prowess and 3pt shooting she will be competing with Lexie and Sophie. Lucy Olsen despite having defensive drawbacks was a great facilitator and a 3 level shooter. Lucy is a solid rim…
— Edward (@evikiar) April 15, 2025
Indiana are getting the winning pedigree from Bree Hall. During her time with the Gamecocks, she helped lead the team to four straight Final Four appearances and two national championships—in 2022 and again in 2024. Oh, and let’s not forget the three SEC tournament titles too. That’s dominance. Hall also made history, playing in 147 games—the most by any four-year player in the program’s history.
Hall averaged just 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds as a senior—much lower than Lucy Olsen’s 15.2 points, 4 assists, and 3.8 boards this season. But numbers don’t always tell the full story. Hall was the ultimate glue player. She made the extra pass, fought through every screen, and embraced the dirty work on defense. Every championship team needs someone like that and South Carolina had her.
It wasn’t just Lucy Olsen that fans were upset about —Bree Hall’s selection sparked quite a lot of confusion. One fan ranted, “Bree Hall got drafted but Deja Kelly didn’t? How bro?!? What are the qualifications?” Another joined in with, “Man tf why can yall not draft sedona weird ahh front office.” And just to add more fuel, someone else threw another name into the mix, “The selection had to be Serena Sundell.”
Deja Kelly had already made her mark as a star at North Carolina before making the move to the Oregon Ducks, where she thrived as the team’s primary scorer. In her four years at UNC, she scored 1,858 points, securing her spot as the eighth all-time leading scorer in the program’s history. She earned Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors and helped lead the Tar Heels to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, with a Sweet 16 run in 2022. Her ability to create her own shot and lead an offense made her a strong pro prospect, but somehow, she too went undrafted, leaving many fans scratching their heads. Another sharpshooter let go by Indiana which didn’t please the fans.
Sedona Prince is definitely one of the more intriguing cases from this year’s draft. Standing tall at 6’7”, she was an absolute force on the court—averaging 17.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and three blocks per game in her final season. She and Hailey Van Lith formed one of the most feared duos in college hoops. So yeah, it came as a big shock to fans when her name wasn’t called. But maybe, just maybe, her recent personal controversies played a role in teams passing on her.
The Fever might’ve missed a trick by passing on Kansas State’s Serena Sundell, who ended up going 26th overall to the Seattle Storm. She didn’t just have a big year—she had a monster one. Sundell was a 2025 WBCA and AP All-America honorable mention, and for good reason. She led the entire country in total assists with a school-record of 262. She also topped the NCAA in assists per game (7.28) and had the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.52) in the Big 12. Add in nine double-digit assist games–the most in the conference. You’ve got yourself a certified floor general Storm!. Sure, you could argue that Bree Hall brings more on the defensive end. But on the flip side, the overall package Serena Sundell offered might’ve outweighed that.
This is exactly what a fan says. “I wouldn’t have drafted EITHER of them. Lucy Olsen to Indiana WAS NOT the right move. But Bree Hall was an ABSURD move. Timpson is the steal of the draft. I would have taken Sundell. She was the second steal in the 3rd round who should have been taken in the first round leading the country in assists.”
But truth be told, the Fever might not be missing out on much by passing on Lucy Olsen or Serena Sundell. Their roster is already stacked, especially in the backcourt. Infact a fan thinks Hall solves nothing either. “Way to solve a need you didn’t have…” they said, and there might be a point. Caitlin Clark’s team have a stacked roster.
Caitlin Clark and Co. already made some serious noise in free agency—bringing in DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham. But wait, there’s more. Jaelyn Brown and Jillian Alleyne are also in the mix on training camp contracts. Both have WNBA experience and know how to grind for a roster spot.
That’s where things get tricky for the three rookies that have been drafted. Indiana’s likely working with cap space for just one more player. This means any rookie coming in isn’t just competing with fellow draftees—they’re going up against seasoned vets who’ve been there, done that. And let’s be honest, rookies usually don’t win those battles.
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