Aliyah Boston's 7-Word Message About Fever Point Guard Carousel Says It All
The Indiana Fever's injury woes have had a far-reaching effect. That extends to star center Aliyah Boston.
With veteran point guards Odyssey Sims and Shey Peddy inked to hardship contracts amidst four injuries in the Fever backcourt, Boston is quickly trying to develop some synergy with her new floor generals.
"Adjusting is the name of the game," Boston told reporters after practice on Thursday. "That's kinda been our season."
As Boston aptly noted, it's been a season of adjustments for Indiana.
The Fever have lost three guards to season-ending injuries in the last two weeks, Sophie Cunningham's torn MCL marking the latest. Factor in a smattering of lower-body ailments for star point guard Caitlin Clark, which have limited her to just 13 of Indiana's 35 games, and it's clear that stability has long eluded the Fever this season.
Caitlin Clark suffered a “very mild” bone bruise in her left ankle during a workout in Phoenix on Aug. 7, per @ScottAgness.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 20, 2025
The bone bruise does not affect her return timeline, and Clark will still be out rehabbing her groin. pic.twitter.com/BkkD4q4umP
"For me, it's just about continuing to approach every game the same," Boston explained. "Trying to find where I can get my touches, trying to give us extra possessions. I just take it game by game and try to continue to show up and be that consistent piece."
Aliyah Boston and Fever Searching for Synergy Amidst Backcourt Injuries
To her credit, Boston has remained one of Indiana's most reliable scorers despite Clark's prolonged absence.
In 12 games since the All-Star break, the third-year center has reached double figures all but once, averaging 14.5 PPG on 49.6% shooting. Still, it hasn't always come easy, the Fever offense a tad clunkier with fresh faces in the mix.
Aliyah Boston buries the midrange to tie it up with 20 seconds to play in the fourth 👀 pic.twitter.com/fUlTjSHB3z
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 17, 2025
Of course, the impact of Clark's injury can't be overstated enough.
"People play somebody like Caitlin differently than they're gonna play Odyssey or they're gonna play Shey," Fever head coach Stephanie White observed. "They play Kelsey [Mitchell] differently than they're gonna play Odyssey or Shey."
With Clark sidelined, Mitchell has thrived in the role of Indiana's offensive engine. Look no further than her career-high 38 points in Indiana's most recent outing, willing the Fever to an improbable comeback win.
Clark's facilitation, however, has been more challenging to replicate, and no player benefits more from her presence than Boston.
There's no connection quite like Caitlin Clark to Aliyah Boston pic.twitter.com/sE73wcxZoU
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) July 13, 2025
"Not a lot of players have that instinct like it was with 'C' and 'AB'," White acknowledged. "So really prioritizing getting some work together, understanding how and where we want to get AB the ball."
After a shaky start, Sims is gradually settling into Indiana's offense, amassing a season-high seven assists in Sunday's 99-93 overtime win over the Connecticut Sun. Peddy, meanwhile, is set to make her Fever debut on Friday against the Minnesota Lynx.
Capable play from both veterans would no doubt be a benefit for Boston and the rest of the Fever offense. At the same time, White is also stressing the need for Boston to demand the ball earlier and more often.
"It takes some pressure off of our guards, number one, and number two, she's a really good decision maker," explained White. "Most post players are not gonna hound one another 94 feet, so we're going to be able to get the ball across half-court in a timely manner to run our stuff, and she understands which actions to get us into."
The Fever will need Boston to be her typically productive self as they brace for a difficult stretch to close out the regular season. And there will be no easing into it. Indiana's next two games come up against the league-leading Lynx, who boast the top scoring defense in the WNBA.
Whether or not their adjustments pay off could make or break the season.
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Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.
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