The Indiana Fever didn't spring any last-minute surprises as they selected South Carolina star Aliyah Boston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft.

The Fever have been devoid of a long-term direction following Tamika Catchings' retirement after the 2016 season. Winning the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history represented a golden opportunity to chart a coherent vision for the future.

Plenty of people on social media emphasized how big this moment could be:

Boston was universally viewed as the best player on the board. A three-time unanimous first-team All-American, she won a national championship with the Gamecocks and collected every major individual honor on offer in college.

The 6'5" forward averaged 14.1 points on 54.6 percent shooting along with 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

The Fever's playoff drought could extend to seven years in 2023. The front office hasn't radically transformed a roster that won five games a season ago.

But Boston joins a promising squad that includes NaLyssa Smith, Queen Egbo, Lexie Hull, Emily Engstler and former South Carolina teammate Destanni Henderson. Kelsey Mitchell is coming off a career year in 2022 as well.

Watching this team grow together should provide more fun than Fever fans have enjoyed for a long time.