Aliyah Boston didn’t need to raise her voice. She didn’t need a viral moment or an explosive postgame soundbite to announce her presence. She did it the way true stars do—through performance, poise, and undeniable consistency. As the Indiana Fever navigate a season filled with expectations, media noise, and the bright spotlight brought by Caitlin Clark’s arrival, one truth has re-emerged with crystal clarity: this is still Aliyah Boston’s team. And for the Fever to unlock their true potential, head coach Stephanie White must lean into that reality more than ever.
The 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year wasn’t just an early success story—she was a blueprint. Boston entered the league ready-made for dominance. Her footwork was polished, her basketball IQ was elite, and her leadership style was mature beyond her years. While the spotlight often gravitates to the backcourt, especially when someone like Clark enters the picture, championship-level teams are built around anchors. Aliyah Boston is that anchor. She’s not just a foundational piece; she is the foundation.
Through the early stretches of the 2025 season, Boston has reminded everyone exactly why she was a No. 1 overall pick and how critical she is to the Fever’s long-term success. When the Fever find their rhythm, Boston is invariably at the center of it—battling for position in the paint, altering shots on defense, setting rock-solid screens, and making the right pass even when it doesn’t show up in the box score. And when she gets the touches she deserves, the entire offense opens up. The floor spacing improves. The defense collapses. Clark’s shooting lanes widen. The pace quickens. Everything flows better.
Yet, somehow, there are still moments in games where Boston fades—not because of her own doing, but because the system forgets her. Whether it’s Clark going through her own adjustment period, the backcourt settling into its identity, or White’s rotation choices leaning too heavily on perimeter creation, there have been quarters—entire halves even—where Boston isn’t prioritized. That’s not just a missed opportunity. It’s a misstep that could cost Indiana both in the short term and long term.
Stephanie White is no stranger to building a team. She’s a former WNBA Coach of the Year and understands the nuances of developing young talent. But the challenge she faces now isn’t just about coaching basketball—it’s about managing egos, narratives, and momentum. The Clark phenomenon has created a seismic shift in how the Fever are perceived, covered, and marketed. But beneath the noise, basketball fundamentals still reign supreme. And one of those fundamentals is this: you ride your star. Aliyah Boston has already shown she can be that star. She’s done it with humility and quiet dominance. Now it’s on White to ensure she’s featured like one.
In games where Boston touches the ball early and often, the Fever look like a playoff team. Her post presence forces double teams, which opens up shooters. Her ability to pass out of the post is rare for a player her age. Her defense anchors the interior, and her composure gives the team a stabilizing force in moments of chaos. There are few players in the WNBA who can impact both ends of the floor like Boston does—and fewer still who can do so while deferring credit and keeping the locker room united.
It’s no secret that the Fever have struggled with consistency. Their roster is still young, their chemistry still developing, and the growing pains are evident. But one of the easiest ways to accelerate that process is to build everything around the most reliable presence on the floor. Aliyah Boston is a stabilizer. She doesn’t need 25 shots a night to be happy. She doesn’t demand the spotlight. But when the team makes a concerted effort to run through her, the game slows down, the chaos quiets, and Indiana begins to look like the team fans hoped it could become.
There’s also the matter of leadership. Clark may be the face of a new era in women’s basketball, but Boston is the heart of this franchise. She’s already weathered the transition from college superstar to WNBA anchor. She’s taken her lumps, absorbed every lesson, and emerged stronger. Her leadership isn’t flashy, but it’s powerful. Teammates gravitate toward her calm. She models professionalism. And if this Fever team is going to mature into a legitimate threat, it will be in large part due to Boston’s presence—on and off the floor.
Of course, the idea isn’t to diminish what Clark brings to the table. The two can—and must—coexist. The future of the Indiana Fever rests on their ability to build around both stars in a way that maximizes their respective strengths. Clark’s range and court vision paired with Boston’s dominance in the post should form one of the league’s most lethal inside-out duos. But that can only happen if Boston is allowed to do what she does best consistently, not in fits and starts.
There’s something poetic about the contrast between the two players. Clark is all fire and flair—highlight-reel shots, bold passes, and the kind of swagger that draws national headlines. Boston, meanwhile, is the quiet storm—steady, calculated, powerful. Together, they form a yin-yang dynamic that could redefine Indiana basketball. But for that vision to become reality, White must ensure Boston’s role doesn’t shrink as the Clark era ascends.
This is a delicate balancing act, but the blueprint exists. Look at past WNBA champions. The 2018 Seattle Storm were built around Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird, with a pecking order that allowed Stewart to grow into her MVP role. The Las Vegas Aces built a title team around A’ja Wilson while still incorporating flashy perimeter players like Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. The message is clear: when your franchise player is a dominant post presence, you feed her. You prioritize her. You build around her.
Boston isn’t asking for the keys to the franchise—she already has them. What’s needed now is recognition, both symbolic and strategic, that this team starts and ends with her. That means more touches in crucial moments. That means more offensive sets designed to put her in scoring positions. That means clearer messaging from the coaching staff about who sets the tone on the floor. And most importantly, that means trusting Boston to carry the team through rough patches—not just as a defensive anchor, but as the offensive engine.
Stephanie White has all the tools she needs. She has a generational shooter in Clark, a defensive menace in Boston, and a roster full of versatile, hungry young talent. But great coaching is about more than just strategy—it’s about vision. And the vision for this Fever team must begin with embracing Boston not just as a contributor, but as the cornerstone.
To ignore that truth is to risk undermining the very identity the team has worked so hard to establish. To embrace it, however, is to unleash the full potential of a duo that could change the landscape of the WNBA for years to come. The league is watching. The fans are watching. And most importantly, Boston is ready. She’s already shown who she is. The next move belongs to Stephanie White.
