Aliyah Boston Must Take Advantage of A'ja Wilson's Absence in Fever vs Aces Matchup

The Indiana Fever center has a chance to dominate.

Jun 27, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston (7) in the second half against the Los Angeles Sparks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sunday's showdown between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces will be down some star power.

Caitlin Clark is out for the Fever, while A'ja Wilson is sidelined for the Aces. That means arguably the league's two best players won't be available given the current Eastern Conference and Western Conference Players of the Month are each dealing with an ailment.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson have been named the Kia WNBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in June. pic.twitter.com/50vlGOuJ03

— WNBA Communications (@WNBAComms) July 3, 2026

Clark expects to be back this week from her back issue, while there isn't a clear timeline for Wilson, who will miss her third game in a row for Las Vegas with what is being listed as a lower right leg injury.

The Fever will obviously have to overcome Clark's absence, but Wilson's absence opens up an opportunity for Aliyah Boston.

Boston essentially played Wilson (the reigning MVP) to a standstill in the playoffs last year, so the rest of the Aces frontcourt should present a less formidable challenge.

Former Fever player NaLyssa Smith has played well for Las Vegas, but beyond that, there shouldn't be anyone who can pose too many problems for Boston.

Indiana played without Clark most of last season, thus Boston and the team's third All-Star, Kelsey Mitchell, are familiar with how to attack the opposition without the team's star point guard.

Mitchell can score against anyone, but this contest should be a chance for Boston to dominate. She did score 15 points in the first half of Indiana's last win against the Los Angeles Sparks. Boston only finished with 17, but that game got so out of hand in the Fever's favor the final box score tally is deceiving.

The Aces still present a threat given Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young remain in the lineup, however, there isn't a matchup that Boston shouldn't be able to take advantage of. If she plays her game, Indiana has a strong chance of coming away with a win.

Boston is averaging 17 points and 8.6 rebounds, and that's playing only 26.8 minutes a night due to a minutes restriction as she recovers from a lower leg injury herself. She has also extended her range beyond three-point line this year, knocking down 42.6% of attempts. All in all, Vegas should not have an answer for her.

Tyasha Harris will get the start again as the lead guard for the Fever in Clark's absence. The team has had a week off to prepare for this one, with an opportunity to improve to 12-8 on the season with a victory—and that's with Clark's return on the way.