3 Indiana Fever Players Who Must Step Up if Aliyah Boston Misses Time
Indiana Fever star center Aliyah Boston suffered a lower-leg injury during the third quarter of Indiana's May 15 game against the Washington Mystics. She didn't return to the game, and there's currently no indication of the injury's severity.
This is obviously concerning for the Fever. Boston is not only one of their best players, but one of the league's elite frontcourt presences. Losing her for an extended period of time would be a crushing blow. But even if she only has to miss several games, the Fever will need just about their whole roster to step up and atone for what Boston usually brings.
But some players will need to step up more than others. These three will arguably be the most important if Indiana isn't going to lose ground during Boston's absence, regardless of how many games she's sidelined for.
Fever Need These 3 Players to Step Up Amid Aliyah Boston Injury
Before getting into the list, Monique Billings should be mentioned. She'll need to increase her production if Boston is out for a while, but the fact that she's already a starter and has a defined role means that she doesn't need to "step up" in the same way the three players included on the list do.
1. Myisha Hines-Allen
The player who might see the biggest minutes per game increase while Boston is out is Myisha Hines-Allen. She has been operating as Billings' backup as forward, but is strong and physical enough to also play center.
MHA hasn't been scoring or putting up many shots to this point. However, the Fever wouldn't necessarily need her to try to replicate Boston's scoring impact. If she could hold down the paint defensively and keep teams from getting too many rebounds while Boston is out, she'll have done her job.
Myisha Hines-Allen picks 'em off and Kelsey Mitchell comes through with the DEEP three to bring us within three 💪 pic.twitter.com/gNmPvnvCDr
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 16, 2026
2. Damiris Dantas
Damiris Dantas is Boston's backup at center, and the only true center on the roster aside from her. Therefore, she's sure to see a minutes per game increase.
The only problem is that Dantas and Boston are completely different players. Dantas prefers to linger along the perimeter and take three-pointers (the vast majority of her field goals are three-pointers), while Boston is more versatile and active within the offense.
Therefore, when Dantas is playing in the minutes Boston usually would get, she'll have to get comfortable in the paint and perhaps in the pick-and-roll. Plus, she'll need to show she's willing to get physical without fouling on defense.
3. Makayla Timpson
The most intriguing and highest-ceiling player on the list is Makayla Timpson. The second-year pro has already seen her role expand this season compared to her rookie campaign, and that role will continue to increase in Boston's absence.
Timpson probably isn't big enough to play center full-time in the WNBA, which may keep her from taking too many of Boston's minutes. But of these three, she can do the most to replace Boston's offensive contributions, given her athleticism and versatility.
The Fever can't replace Aliyah Boston. But Timpson, Dantas, Hines-Allen, Billings, and the rest of the roster can help mitigate what they lose without her on the court. And that's what Indiana's goal has to be for however long Boston is out.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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