When Aliyah Boston made her entry into the W scene, she just wanted to fit in as a rookie. Her resume, however, did not really match that as she went on to quickly establish that with her (and of course, Caitlin Clark), anything is possible. As Dawn Staley had famously warned, saying, “You all are just getting a small taste of what we know of Aliyah Boston”. Even Fever Coach Christie Sides couldn’t help but nod in agreement when she observed how “she talks to every coach, she watches video with every coach, she asks the best questions“. That same hunger and discipline were on full display as Boston racked up 19 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks in the win over the Sky. Yet, her biggest contribution might not be on the court at all.

The Indiana Fever started their season off in style as they got the better of their rivals Chicago Sky. While the Fever saw impressive performances across the board in their 93-58 victory, it was the duo of Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark that led the team on the court and subsequently in the post-game presser. But as Aliyah was asked about the margin that matched the second-largest in franchise history, she made a new locker room declaration that would probably stretch from the video room to the bus ride home.

“I mean, this is a great first win, but we have 43 more games to go,” Boston said. “And so for us, it’s just about making sure that we lock in. We rewatch the game, look at what we need to work on, get in the gym and continue to work.” Now, Kelsey Mitchell must have chuckled whenever she heard that. After all, she has been in awe of this attitude of Boston since 2023. “Aliyah has already come in and instilled that culture that so many of the players needed and she did it so effortlessly,” Mitchell once said about the team’s locker room. “To see AB kind of take off, take this team to another level without much experience, create the joy for our working, she’s just an awesome person.”

We can clearly see that Boston is now planning to take it up a notch, and understandably so. This side is in heavy contrast from the side that celebrated making the Playoffs, and Boston’s comments show they have their eyes set on the ultimate prize. “I think like what we talked about in the locker room is don’t get comfortable.” she said.

But while Aliyah displayed poise throughout the post-game presser, a revelation from the game saw Boston in disbelief as CC sat beside her laughing. Owing to the rivalry between the two sides, the game was expected to be a physical one right from the jump. And when Angel Reese was denied an open layup by Clark, who “shoved” her to the ground, all hell broke loose. And just as Reese was going after Clark to confront her, Aliyah stepped in to play peacemaker. Then, lo and behold, she was awarded a technical. Something she didn’t know before the presser. “Wait AB got the tech?! I got the tech? I didn’t know that.” she said. Fair to say she must have questioned Staley’s remarks then, who had once compared Boston to A’ja Wilson for making the right decisions. 

Anyway, Clark’s foul on Reese was also upgraded to a flagrant-1 foul upon review, leaving Clark shocked. So while neither of the two agreed with the call, Clark appreciated Boston for having her back. “I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am” she said “You watch it. You know, it shouldn’t have been upgraded. But, again, that’s up to the ref’s discretion. But I appreciate AB having my back, I guess.” Angel Reese was also awarded a technical for the incident, offsetting the one from Boston. Aliyah’s backing of Clark, however, will not come without a cost, as the former Rookie of the Year now has a fine looming over her head.

But that wouldn’t be a problem for Boston, as the face of the league has her covered.

How much fine will Aliyah Boston pay?

Clark accumulated a total of six technical fouls last year, so when Boston was hit with one in their season opener, CC couldn’t help but poke fun at her teammate. “Well, girl. Have fun paying that fine.” she said. In the WNBA, the fine for a technical foul increases based on the number of technical fouls accumulated throughout the season. While the first three technical fouls warrant a fine of $200 each, the next three will cost $400 each, while the 7th and subsequent techs would mean $800 plus an automatic one-game suspension.

Last year, Clark paid approximately $1800 in fines for her technical fouls, a number which might appear worrying for your average WNBA player but not for the multi-millionaire Caitlin Clark. So when Boston jokingly asked Clark to pay half of her fine, Clark made sure her teammate was appreciated. “I got it,” she said while calling the fine “real hefty”. 

Judging by the technical foul call on Boston not being much, it could also be that the fine gets cancelled altogether. The WNBA, like other professional sports leagues, has a process for reviewing calls made during games. If a review determines that the technical foul was not warranted based on the rules or the circumstances, it can be rescinded along with the fine. Even Angel Reese was seen benefiting from the process last year. After Reese was ejected from their game against the NY Liberty for “disrespectfully addressing” the official and then for “waving her hand in dismissal”, she was to be charged with a fine for the two technicals she accumulated during the game. However, the second technical foul was later rescinded upon review, and Reese’s fine was subsequently canceled.

While Boston would hope something similar will be in store for her, there’s no need to worry. Her star has her back either way, and so does she. The Indiana locker room has a chemistry that fresh teams rarely display, and they’ve made their opening statement at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.