When the WNBA draft began Wednesday night, Indiana Fever general manager Lin Dunn and her staff left little room for drama and even less space for suspense, selecting South Carolina's Aliyah Boston with the first No. 1 pick in franchise history.

"There are just so many things, I can't even list everything," Dunn said of Boston as the top pick. "She brings great energy to our program (and) sends a message that we're serious about re-establishing the Indiana Fever as a championship-caliber program."

The 6-5 forward was projected as a No. 1 overall pick before she even officially declared for the draft.

"I wouldn't call it an easy choice. I would say it was an obvious choice," Dunn said. "There was no one, in my opinion, who was in (Boston's) league as far as consideration for the first pick."

"It's just really special (to be taken No. 1)," Boston said via Zoom from New York. "I'm thankful, first, to God just for putting me in this position but also thankful to everybody in Indiana, because they saw something in me. I'm ready to get there and get to work."

Beat writer Q&A: Gamecocks reporter tells Fever fans what to know about Aliyah Boston

WNBA draft: 'I can tell you the Fever will never regret taking Aliyah Boston.'

The most-decorated player in South Carolina history, her list of accolades and achievements nearly fills an entire page single-spaced. She was program's first national freshman of the year (2020), a two-time Naismith defensive player of the year, a three-time academic first-team All-American, the first four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year in conference history and just the fifth four-time AP All-American (three-time unanimous first-team All-American). And then there's the international circuit, where Boston has been equally prolific with USA Basketball, winning five gold medals and receiving an invite to the 2022 US National Team Training Camp in Las Vegas.

Boston averaged 14.1 points and 10.8 rebounds over her four seasons, guiding South Carolina to a 129-9 record that included three consecutive Final Four appearances and a national championship in 2022. She was at the forefront of the Gamecocks' 36-1 finish to this season, which culminated in a Final Four berth.

"I learned to be confident and be confident in my leadership skills," Boston said of her time at South Carolina. "I think that's going to be the biggest thing, making sure I'm able to use my voice, talk about what I'm seeing on the court so I'm able to help my teammates. And also (staying with) the physicality that I bring, trying to be a dominant post player."

Boston flourished at the college level despite facing virtually every junk defense imaginable. That won't be an issue in the WNBA, which has a defensive three-second rule (a defensive player cannot spend more than three seconds inside the paint while not actively guarding an opponent) and a wider lane.

Those rule changes are why South Carolina coach Dawn Staley — and so many others — firmly believed it was time for Boston to turn pro this season, with Staley telling reporters following the loss to Iowa that she'd encourage her star player to enter the draft.

Boston announced her decision to forgo her extra year of eligibility and enter the WNBA draft shortly after the Final Four.

"I've always wanted to (play in the WNBA)," Boston said. "I've always wanted to be a professional basketball player and I felt like this moment was right. Usually if I feel any doubt, if I feel any second-guessing, I can say I'm just not going to do it. But I was very confident in myself. … I'm going to trust my gut."

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA draft: Aliyah Boston 'obvious choice' for Indiana Fever at No. 1