Fever Will Face Sizable Storm Frontcourt Without Aliyah Boston
Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston has been managing a right lower leg injury since Unrivaled.
Boston was held out early in the preseason and has missed several games this season as a result of the ailment. The latest will come in Friday's contest in Indianapolis against the Seattle Storm.
The star center is surely being held out due to the back-to-back the Fever have, with the New York Liberty coming to town next on Saturday. The last time the team played back-to-back games,Boston sat out the front end and Caitlin Clark the second, with the latter managing a back injury that has plagued her all season.
Of course, it is understandable that the franchise would want to ensure that Boston is able to stay healthy enough to compete for the duration of the 2026 campaign, as she has also had to exit a game early this season as a result of the leg injury. But not having Boston in the lineup is always a big blow.
That's because the Fever roster is relatively thin upfront, and no player is able to replicate what Boston brings on both ends.
Boston has even added an elite three-point shot to her arsenal this year, as she has played at an MVP-level when on the floor.
The Fever will face a Storm team that is at the bottom of the standings sans Boston, but it is a Seattle squad that has size up front. The Storm boast both All-Star Dominique Malonga and rookie Awa Fam in the frontcourt.
Malonga is listed at 6'6" and comes into the contest averaging 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, while Fam is 6'4" and putting up 11.1 points and 5.4 boards per game.
Bigger Role for Monique Billings
Makayla Timpson will get the start in Boston's place, but it is Monique Billings who the Fever need to step up.
Billings has played better of late but has still had a relatively disappointing season given she was the team's marquee free agent signing. Billings is averaging 6.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in just over 20 minutes a night as the starter next to Boston, and she is shooting under 50%—which could certainly stand to improve given a large portion of her attempts come near the rim.
The Fever will need Billings to convert her opportunities, set strong screens for Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and clean up the glass against Seattle.
Indiana sorely misses Boston whenever she is unavailable, but the Storm are still a team they should be able to overcome without her.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his popular YouTube channel. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak On SI and Indiana Fever On SI!
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