Aliyah Boston’s Reasons to ‘Refuse’ Guarding Kelsey Mitchell Are Relatable

Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston is very hesitant to match up against Kelsey Mitchell at the WNBA All-Star Game, and for good reason.

Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston (7) claps as Indiana Fever's Kelsey Mitchell (0) addresses the crowd | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

These are three Indiana Fever players competing in the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night: Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston.

Clark and Boston are on one All-Star team while Mitchell is on the other. Therefore, Clark and Boston will get a chance to compete against Mitchell. And Boston had a hilarious response when Robin Lundberg of Indiana Fever On SI asked her what it would be like to get switched onto Mitchell during Saturday's game.

"Honestly, I'm giving her space. Whatever she does with the ball, she does. If she hits a step-back three on me, so be it," Boston replied. "But Kelsey's speed and pace—I just refuse to get beat to the basket like that. That's too much. I can't. I can't!"

Aliyah Boston on the prospects of getting switched on to Kelsey Mitchell pic.twitter.com/810CCpwChB

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) July 24, 2026

While Boston has never actually played against Mitchell in a competitive game, these two have surely matched up countless times during Fever practices.

And even if they didn't, Fever fans can see exactly what Boston is talking about whenever Mitchell plays. She's arguably the quickest, shiftiest player in the entire WNBA, which is a lethal combination with her sharpshooting ability.

Boston is one of the league's premier rim protectors and is impressively versatile when she has to guard along the perimeter. But even she wants nothing to do with matching up with Kelsey Mitchell—and it's hard to blame her.

Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell WNBA All-Star Matchup Might Be Inevitable

There's a fair chance that Boston might never actually match up against Mitchell during the All-Star Game, as they play different positions and there isn't much switching or defensive strategy taking place during this game.

There's a much better chance that Mitchell and Caitlin Clark go head-to-head during the game. Yet, even if this does happen, Fever fans will probably want to temper their expectations.

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game received a good deal of criticism because there was essentially no defense played by either side. It was essentially an offensive exhibition that included a ton of absurdly deep shots.

Both teams did step up their intensity in the second half, but not when compared to an actual regular season WNBA game with stakes. Therefore, if Clark and Mitchell do guard each other, there might not be much defense.

Then again, perhaps Clark and Mitchell's competitive natures will come out, and the tough defense they decide to play against each other will inspire their respective teammates to do the same. But that's probably wishful thinking.