By the time Caitlin Clark took her first step onto a WNBA court, the Indiana Fever were already in the midst of a rebuild with a cornerstone in place. To be sure, Aliyah Boston arrived with the usual fanfare of a number one overall selection and national champion. Her presence, poise, and pedigree were undeniable. Long before Clark lit up Gainbridge Fieldhouse and resuscitated a long-suffering fanbase, Boston was the heartbeat of Indiana’s future—and she still is.
In the swirl of media attention and sold-out arenas surrounding Clark, it’s easy to lose sight of the quiet, steady pulse beneath it all. But make no mistake: if the Fever are going to rise, it will be because Aliyah Boston carries them upward.
Drafted first overall in 2023, Boston entered the league with a resumé that was impossible to ignore—national champion, NCAA Defensive Player of the Year, the kind of player who could shape a game without needing to shout. Her rookie season was a reminder that growth in the WNBA looks different than in college. The speed of the league is faster, the post-battles are more punishing, and the spacing is more unforgiving. Still, she finished her rookie season as one of only six players all-time in their rookie seasons to finish with 14.0 points per game (PPG), 8.0 rebounds per game (RPG), 1.5 assists per game (APG), 1.0 steals per game (SPG), and 1.0 blocks per game (BPG). Boston held her own, and she finished her first season as an All-Star and as one of the most efficient frontcourt players in the league.
But efficiency wasn’t the only thing the Fever needed in 2023. They needed a player who could anchor them on both ends; someone who could stabilize the locker room and provide the kind of structure that a young, rebuilding team requires. That’s the quiet role Boston took on—not as a savior, but as a starting point.
Clark was temporarily sidelined due to injury to start the 2025 season, and Boston’s leadership was more than symbolic. It was urgent.
Boston’s importance has never been about flashy numbers—her value lies in the subtleties. How she seals her defender early in a possession to create space and how she communicates rotations before the ball even moves. How she rifles through her frontcourt bag of tricks with swift footwork and how she reads pick-and-roll coverages not just for herself, but also for the guards navigating them.
With Clark, Boston’s role expands but doesn’t change. She’s the ideal partner in the two-woman game: strong enough to set meaningful screens, nimble enough to roll with purpose, smart enough to read when to pop. Boston is Clark’s top assist partner in Clark’s young career. If Clark is the spark, Boston is the balance. Their games are built to complement, not compete. Clark needs someone to draw defenders off her, and Boston needs someone who can put the ball exactly where it needs to be. In that relationship, the Fever has the foundation for something sustainable.
Thought it interesting too that early on, a lot of deep backcourt screens to open up shooters like CC, Mitchell, Ionescu. IND also hunted the switch all game. The CC vision + AB hands over the top in the middle third is truly a work of art and the fulcrum of what IND does
— Matt Cohen (@byMattCohen) May 25, 2025
But building that relationship—one that could define this franchise for years—takes more than highlight passes. It takes reps. It takes trust. It takes Aliyah Boston continuing to grow into a player who doesn’t just react to the game but dictates it.
That’s where head coach Stephanie White enters the equation. Indiana brought in White to usher in a more competitive era; her hiring wasn’t simply to manage rotations or implement schemes. They brought her in to shape a young core and to help players like Boston evolve into cornerstone stars. Her arrival marks not just a coaching change, but a shift in developmental focus. Indiana didn’t just need someone who could draw up late-game plays; they needed someone who could unlock Boston’s next level.
And there is another level.
The blueprint is already there—flashes of dominance in the post, soft-touch midrange jumpers, and timely defensive stops. The numbers are starting to reveal themselves—nine of the top 10 lineups in minutes per game (MPG) for Indiana have Boston in them. Her defensive rating is already six points per possession better than where she was last season. This season, she has her first positive plus/minus per 100 possessions of her career. Furthermore, she’s in the top 25 in the league in estimated contributions. Also, she’s top five in the league in kitchen sink win probability added (kWPA), which accounts for all contributions to a win on the court. She has the best kWPA on the team. Most prominently and perhaps most importantly, all of Clark’s analytics, including effective field goal percentage (FG%), true shooting percentage (TS%), and usage, all improve with Boston on the floor.
But for the Fever to maximize their duo’s trajectory, Aliyah Boston must become more than efficient. She needs to become inevitable.
That means putting her in positions where her physicality becomes a weapon. When matched against smaller defenders—and there are plenty in today’s space-and-pace WNBA—she should be punishing. More touches with her back to the basket and hunting mismatches off switches. More designed sets to get her moving downhill, not just standing and waiting for the ball. The traditional back-to-the-basket post-up isn’t dead—not when it’s used wisely, with spacing, movement, and intention. Boston has the tools to make that old-school approach feel new again.
Then there’s the pick-and-roll game. Right now, too many of her screens end in resets. That can’t be the ceiling. With Clark — or even in her absence — Boston should be a constant threat to roll hard to the rim, catch lobs, or step into open midrange jumpers. She’s shown the touch from the elbow. Getting her the ball on the move instead of forcing her to create in tight spaces could open up not only her game but the entire offense. Her baseline drives force defenses to collapse. That’s how the game opens up for shooters on the perimeter and lanes for guards to slash.
If there’s an area of growth that could fully round out her game, it’s the three-point shot. She doesn’t need to become a volume shooter from deep, but developing even a respectable deep shot would force defenders to step out, and more importantly, make it harder for teams to pack the paint. Right now, defenses gamble by giving her space beyond 18 feet. Closing that gap turns her into a true three-level scorer and stretches the floor for everyone else.
This kind of offensive expansion doesn’t happen overnight. It takes deliberate effort, trust in a system, and a coach who knows how to balance development with competitiveness. White’s experience and vision align with that need. If Boston is the foundation, and the Fever has shown every indication that she is, White’s job is to help polish the stone, not just keep it in place, and shape it into something even more formidable.
There’s a difference between being a good player and being a franchise’s fulcrum. Boston is moving steadily toward the latter. Indiana doesn’t need her to become a 25-point scorer. What they need is what she already provides—improving defensive structure, offensive versatility, and the kind of steadiness that doesn’t crack when the game gets tight. But if they want to become more than just competitive—if they want to win—she will have to step into something even bigger.
Early in the season, with the spotlight focused on Clark, Boston could’ve faded into the background. She hasn’t. She’s battled in the post, worked the boards, and continued to refine a midrange game that forces defenders to make uncomfortable choices. When Clark is on the floor, defenders have to stretch, but it’s Boston who punishes them inside when they do. When Clark is off the floor, it’s Boston who must absorb the defensive attention and set the tone.
This isn’t just about one season or one injury. It’s about how a team grows around a true frontcourt anchor. Teams don’t win titles without one. The Fever—no matter how bright the guard play becomes—will only go as far as their base can carry them. And right now, that base is Aliyah Boston.
There will be more headlines, more triple-doubles, and a large spotlight on Clark as her career unfolds. But through all of it, Boston is the constant they need—the player who won’t waver no matter how wild the ride becomes.
She doesn’t need the brightest spotlight to matter. Her impact is measured by her stability, as the team holds its shape when she’s on the court. How the game slows down around her. That’s not something you build around by accident. That’s the kind of player you build with.
As the Fever chase relevance, wins, and a new identity in the Clark era, it’s worth remembering: This team’s rise didn’t start with a three-point bomb from the logo. It started in the paint, with Aliyah Boston carving out space and holding her ground, just as she continues to do now. And if White can help Boston take that next step, Indiana won’t just be building for the future. It will be stepping into it.
All stats through June 13. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of WNBA.com
