Aliyah Boston to Enter 2023 WNBA Draft After South Carolina's Final Four Loss to Iowa

The Indiana Fever can breathe a sigh of relief.

South Carolina star Aliyah Boston announced she's entering the 2023 WNBA draft.

The 6'5" forward is universally regarded as the best player in the class and a potentially transcendent star at the next level. She averaged 13.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game as a senior.

Boston had nothing left to prove in college.

She helped South Carolina win a national title in 2022, and the Gamecocks might have lifted another championship in 2020 had the COVID-19 pandemic not forced the cancellation of the NCAA tournament. In terms of individual accolades, she earned every single individual honor reserved for the top players and was a three-time unanimous first-team All-American.

The Fever have been adrift ever since Tamika Catchings retired after the 2016 season. They've finished with a losing record for six years and failed to build any sort of foundation despite the litany of lottery picks at their disposal.

Granted, Indiana never had the luxury of the No. 1 pick over that span. When the franchise won the 2023 draft lottery, the fanbase immediately understood how it could drastically reshape the Fever's trajectory.

Boston's declaration wasn't a foregone conclusion, though. She had an additional year of eligibility, and she remained coy about her future during the NCAA tournament.

Boston coming back to South Carolina would've been nothing short of a disaster for the Fever because she's head and shoulders better than her peers in the 2023 draft class.

Luckily for Indiana, it can pencil the 21-year-old into its long-term plans. Between dynamic guard Kelsey Mitchell and young forward NaLyssa Smith, the organization can lay the groundwork required to build a contender.