“We know injuries are part of the game, but when one person goes down, we don’t crumble; we remind ourselves, ‘the next woman stands up.’” When Aliyah Boston joined the Indiana Fever, she had to make massive adjustments to her gameplay. But while she came to terms with the fast-paced rhythm and the nuances that came as Caitlin Clark’s on-court partner, she stumbled largely amidst the Fever’s injury-ridden season and kept reminding herself of the resilience, grit, and the team’s ultimate goal. Thus bega

But while Boston figured out her momentum this season, she had to deal with different guards and different playmaking styles. From assisting Clark in pick and rolls to playing with Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and now Kelsey Mitchell, it hasn’t been a smooth road for the forward athlete. And though she dropped an impressive 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, this reporter feels that Clark’s partner can contribute in better ways to the roster despite being the most impacted player on the roster.

In the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Tony East further explained how Aliyah Boston was the most impacted athlete this season. “Then this year, she didn’t start slow because she explained that she knew the system. She understood the tempo of how the people play. She got it, right,” East started. “It was much more natural and easy for her to do all that, right? And so clearly she, like, not requires an adjustment, but when she is more comfortable in a system- in her partnership with a player, she is more effective, right?” He warned HC White of the adjustments ahead of the games.

After watching her on-court partner, Caitlin Clark, exit the game for the first time this season, fans expected Aliyah Boston to take the reins and emerge as a center piece for the locker room. Instead, she suffered a huge blow as she spiralled without a trustworthy presence in the paint. Boston even added single-digit points in a game before Aari McDonald joined the roster. Therefore, East rightly pointed out that while she is a solid athlete, Boston needs a comfortable system in order to bring out her efficiency and her best gameplay.

“If she is really energized, setting good screens, getting into open space, getting the ball, demanding attention from the defense, that gives the Fever another way of playing that doesn’t just rely on their ball handlers getting to the cup to bend a defense,” East stated. “And I think the Fever needs to find a way to get Aliyah more involved.” As a highly energetic and versatile player, the Indiana Fever head coach, Stephanie White, should ensure that Boston is receiving the right conditions and players that can match her pace.

As a player who has adjusted to different playing strategies and pacing this season, Boston is a phenom who can effectively aid ball handlers by creating enough space and opportunities for a driving layup. She can positively impact the team’s offenses and penetrate the paint to create different ways of generating possession. Despite having these advantages in the locker room, Tony East felt that HC White & Co. failed to utilise the athlete’s strengths to the fullest.

Now, as the Fever progresses further in the playoffs race, it will be exciting to watch Boston and how she copes with the constantly changing locker-room dynamics. After the injuries resulted in a rapidly declining roster, head coach White and the front office have quickly tried to fill in the gaps by inviting other athletes to grace the locker room and continue from where the injured athlete left off.

Indiana Fever welcomes another veteran ahead of the playoffs

This year, back-to-back injuries have depleted the Indiana Fever’s locker room and sent the roster into a state of helplessness. Just days after losing Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald to season-ending injuries, the roster lost Sophie Cunningham to the sidelines.

And this lack of backcourt depth and a true point guard led the team into making some grave decisions. The result? Fever soon signed veterans Odyssey Sims and Shey Peddy to seven-day hardship contracts. While the two have significantly contributed to the roster against the Minnesota Lynx, the team was not satisfied.

So, immediately after a five-point deficit against the Lynx, the team welcomed another veteran to the roster. The official Fever account announced the induction of Aerial Powers on social media. Sharing a poster of the athlete in the team’s classic jersey, the account wrote, “We have signed Aerial Powers to a 7-day hardship contract. Welcome to Indy, Aerial.”

As Powers too joins the roster under yet another seven-day replacement contract, can these point guards come together to change the winds for the Indiana Fever? As the sixth-ranked team in the league’s standings so far, can the revamped roster unite once again to achieve the goal they have been striving for all season? Only time will tell.