Aliyah Boston might just follow Caitlin Clark into the not-so-finer WNBA fines club.

“Are you kidding me? No. Are you kidding me? Two people are going up for a rebound. Are you kidding me? Are we joking? Oh my gosh. I could not believe that call.”

That’s what Aliyah Boston said as she rewatched that dreaded 6th foul from Game 5 against the Las Vegas Aces on her ‘Post Moves’ Podcast with Candace Parker. Boston battled through 32 gritty minutes, putting up 11 points, 16 rebounds, and a pair of assists. However, while her hustle on the glass kept Indiana in the fight, foul trouble kept trying to bring her down.

With just 27 seconds left in regulation, Boston picked up her sixth foul while diving for a loose ball. Stephanie White threw in the challenge flag, but the call stood. Just like that, Indiana lost its defensive anchor for the final stretch and all of overtime. To make matters worse, Kelsey Mitchell had already gone down in the third with a non-contact injury and never returned. Without that duo, everyone knows, the Fever stood no chance, even with Odyssey Sims trying to keep the ship afloat.

And so, Boston said, “Like, how did she? Oh my gosh. I could not believe that call“. Yet, that’s not where the officiating began or ended for Boston. It was another foul that irked Candace Parker, who, as she said, decided to play “the devil’s advocate”.

“I think the call that was not the best was the one, the offensive foul, where you did your crab dribble,” Parker said. And as soon as she said it, Boston put her hands up in frustration. 

“I’ve been crab dribbling all year, have not gotten an offensive foul in that manner the entire… that I thought was the entire season. So I’m like, excuse me, excuse me, ma’am, what did I do? I didn’t push off. She’s like, “Well, your shoulder was like in her chest.” I’m sorry. I just feel like that’s crazy, though. That is really crazy.” The Indiana Fever forward replied.

Well, with these comments, Boston has risked a fate quite similar to that of her teammate, Caitlin Clark. Clark was fined $200 for mere Instagram comments. “Elite bench mob” and “Refs couldn’t stop us” are the comments in question. We could call it the Sophie Cunningham fate as well. In August, she was fined $1,500 for remarks made during the debut episode of her podcast, “Show Me Something,” where she criticized the league’s referees. Earlier in the season, she was also fined $500 for a TikTok post that appeared to mock league officiating. 

But to be fair, Boston’s remarks weren’t exactly baseless. She and Candace Parker seemed to be talking about that questionable offensive foul called on Boston in the third quarter. With the Fever down four, Boston dribbled up and dished it to Kelsey Mitchell, only for a chasing Dana Evans to hit the ground after colliding with Boston’s arm. A little contact, sure, but nothing that screamed “intentional” or offensive foul.

In the replay, you can see Boston standing with her shoulders drooped, with a “not again, please” smile on her face.

What’s a crab dribble-

It was 2009, Cavs vs. Wizards, and the game hung in the balance. LeBron James drove hard to the rim for what looked like a game-tying layup, only to be whistled for traveling. LeBron had then insisted that he didn’t travel. What he did, he explained later, was something entirely different — a crab dribble.

That phrase instantly entered basketball folklore. LeBron’s move, as he described it, involved using his back to shield the defender, crouching low, and shuffling sideways while dribbling. Almost like a crab scuttling across the sand. To the officials, it looked like an extra step; to LeBron, it was just smart footwork.

After such a physical season and that multiplying in the postseason, that foul seemed too tame to the fans, Boston, and everyone. “We’ve seen Aliyah Boston do this just back her way down. Typically, players do not go down when she makes that contact,” Rebecca Lobo said on the ESPN broadcast. Boston had been pulling off the same move against Wilson all series long. She even fouled Wilson once earlier in the series, dribbling the same way. 

Also, Boston’s frustration now is pretty justified. Even her fifth foul was a controversial one. After handing off to Kelsey Mitchell near the wing, she set the screen for her ‘MVP’. Trying to follow her marker, Jackie Young flicked Boston’s shoulder and went down. The officials called an offensive foul as Boston went ahead and sat on the bench for half of the 3rd quarter. These decisions played a huge role in the Fever’s disqualification and just accentuated the need for consistency in officiating.

Now that the Fever’s season has wrapped, it’s time to circle back to one thing we’ve been saying all year: even without Caitlin Clark, and despite all the early doubts, Aliyah Boston took some serious strides in 2025.

Aliyah Boston Admits To Growth Without Caitlin Clark

Aliyah Boston had already shown why she was the 2023 first-overall pick. She led the league with a 57.8% field goal percentage, earned an All-Star nod, and took home ROTY honors. Over the years, her dominance in the paint and leadership role only grew, but this season came with a new challenge: becoming the team’s playmaker.

Even as a four-five player, Boston has always had a knack for spotting open teammates and setting them up for easy buckets. Teaming up with Caitlin Clark, she expanded that part of her game while keeping her inside strength fully intact. The result? The Indiana Fever can now function without their point guard, nicknamed “The head of the snake,” all thanks to Boston’s sharp basketball IQ.

Even HC Stephanie White, when asked, “Who needs to be talked about more?” had taken the forward’s name, saying, “Aliyah Boston for sure. I mean, she is our backbone. You know, she really is the rock of our team”. 

“We’ve asked her to do more on the defensive end. And she’s stepped up to every single challenge. And AB is a player who came into this league as a low block-dominant player. Now, we’re putting the ball in her hands. We’re utilizing her,” White had added. Now, Boston herself is acknowledging the growth that came with that challenge.

“I think this was such a big year of mental growth for me that I know that’s something that I’ve been like battling with just being mentally tough. Um, and I feel like I learned that I can really take on a lot more than I’ve been letting myself do.” Boston said.

Boston was just one part of the Indiana Fever trifecta, often seen as the supporting cast to Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. But in 2025, everything changed. She suddenly lost her best partner. Now, adapting her game in a matter of days is challenging enough, and with teammates coming and going, Boston had to step up as a leader alongside Mitchell. Her impact on the offense showed immediately, with her assists climbing from 3.2 per game to 3.7.

That statistical jump, though, barely captures how crucial Boston was to the Fever on both ends of the floor. She missed the All-Defensive first team by a whisker, in my opinion, but an All-Defensive second team finish is good too. “Blessed and grateful 🙌🏽” Boston wrote after the announcement. The Fever center will be aiming to improve further in 2026.