Jun 22, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Las Vegas Aces at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Bold Indiana Fever 2026 WNBA Draft Prediction Raises Eyebrows

Originally posted on Indiana Fever on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 9:47 PM ET

There's no doubt that the Indiana Fever's roster for the 2026 WNBA season is going to feature some new faces.

This is owed to several things. One is that if a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is ratified, the first order of business will likely be figuring out when the Expansion Draft for the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire will take place. Regardless of whether the Fever get to protect five or six players for that process, they're likely to lose at least two members of their 2025 roster to those respective drafts.

After that will come WNBA free agency. And since every WNBA veteran except two is becoming a free agent, there's sure to be a lot of turnover from team to team.

All of this makes it easy to forget that there's still going to be the 2026 WNBA Draft, likely at some point in April. And while the Fever don't know what their entire roster will look like at that point, they do know they'll have the No. 10 pick, which should make some appealing options available.

ESPN's Indiana Fever WNBA Draft Prediction Turns Heads

ESPN WNBA insider Michael Voepel released a 2026 WNBA mock draft article on November 21. For the Fever's No. 10 pick, he predicted they'd take South Carolina Gamecocks center Madina Okot.

"Okot, who is from Kenya, transferred to spend her final season with the Gamecocks, and has fit in well. She leads South Carolina in rebounding (10.6) and blocks (2.0) while averaging 13.2 points. She is a more of a traditional center, but there is still a place for those players in the WNBA, especially if they defend well," Voepel wrote.

WNBA mock draft: Four UCLA players are now projected first-round picks. But there’s a new No. 1 replacing Lauren Betts at the top ahead of Sunday’s draft lottery. https://t.co/Mm7IBpacfd
— ESPN Women's Hoops (@ESPN_WomenHoop) November 21, 2025

There's no question that Okot is a talented player who could make an impact on Indiana. However, as good as she is in the paint, many fans don't agree with this pick prediction because they believe the Fever need to prioritize shooters who can space the floor around Caitlin Clark. Okot has never taken a single three-point shot in her college career.

And while the Fever have had success with South Carolina centers (with Aliyah Boston), the fact that they have Boston on their team serves as proof of why they don't need another paint presence like Okot.

With the pick right after Indiana, Voepel predicted the Washington Mystics could select UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez. Fever fans are saying she would be a much better fit, given that she's shooting 47.4% from three-point range this season.

there’s no reason that the fever should pass on gabriela jaquez. putting great shooters around cc & ab is a must. https://t.co/jcBxAPeDCR pic.twitter.com/IINrmhnyLM
— josh (@jusanothernword) November 21, 2025