History wasn’t on the Aces’ side. No WNBA team had ever come back from being down 0–2 in a playoff series. They had already lost Game 1 at home to the Indiana Fever, and dropping another before the series shifted to Indiana would’ve been a nightmare. But the Aces showed up. And right at the center of it was A’ja Wilson.

Game 1 was rough for A’ja. She managed just 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting, and a big reason was Aliyah Boston. From the very first quarter, Boston made sure her presence was felt. When asked about her defense, Boston said: “Honestly, just trying to kind of be annoying a little bit, because A’ja is a pretty great player…So for me, just trying to make sure my presence is felt.” And annoying she was. Wilson was held to just three points on 1-for-7 shooting in that opening quarter, looking visibly frustrated.

But things flipped in Game 2. And this time, it wasn’t Wilson who went missing; it was Aliyah Boston. But it’s not her fault. According to Alicia Jay, the Fever didn’t use their star nearly enough. “I was rather disappointed in the way that they used Aliyah Boston. Um, they need to get that ball to her more. Aliyah is a key player on that team,” Jay said on the We Need to Talk podcast.

The issue is, Boston hasn’t been the focal point of the Fever’s offense the way she was earlier in the season. Back then, coach White often highlighted her as the primary facilitator, and it showed in the numbers. The Indiana Fever center put up career highs not just in scoring, but in assists, too. But in this series, her role feels different. Instead of being the hub of the attack, she’s been tasked more with slowing down A’ja Wilson, or at least trying to.

In Game 1, Aliyah Boston’s numbers didn’t really jump off the page — 6 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists on 33% shooting. But that’s not where her impact was felt. Defensively, she was everywhere. A’ja Wilson missed 14 shots around the rim, including four right at the basket, and most of those were with Boston in her face. On 35 possessions guarding Wilson, Boston held her to just 16.7% shooting. That’s how you change a game without filling up the scoreboard.

But Game 2 was a completely different story. A’ja Wilson came out firing, dropping 25 points on 10-for-18 shooting, pulling down 9 rebounds, and even swiping 5 steals. It was the kind of performance you expect from the reigning MVP. And maybe that’s exactly why Alicia Jay kept circling back to Aliyah Boston’s numbers on the other end.

“I’m trying to see her stat line. I want to say she only had 10 points. She only had 10. And Aliyah Boston is a phenomenal player, one of the best in the league, an All-Star. I mean, the list goes on and on for her. And she needs to be more effective. They need to make sure that she’s more effective because it wasn’t for… you know, she just didn’t have as many opportunities as she should have in that game. And so when you go into a Game 3 knowing that they know how to play Kelsey Mitchell, they know how to guard her, you really have to utilize all of the players that you have. And Aliyah Boston is a huge factor in this—they need to make sure she gets her points moving forward,” she said.

Now, Jay isn’t wrong. Kelsey Mitchell was held to just 13 points in Game 2, a big drop after her playoff career-high 34 in Game 1. If the Aces continue to slow her down, the pressure naturally shifts to Aaliyah Boston. Scoring only 16 points across two games doesn’t really reflect her All-Star status, especially when we know she can dominate offensively.

Boston has already dropped nearly 60 points combined in the three regular-season games against the Aces–that alone proves her scoring ability. Moving forward, Fever coach Stephanie Whitemight need to design plays with Boston at the center of the offense, especially on nights when Mitchell struggles to score.

Game 2 wasn’t just about stats; it was also marked by a lot of physical play. And the Fever star had something to say about it.

Indiana Fever Center Opens Up About Game 2’s Physical Play

Game 2 between the Aces and the Fever was an intense, physical affair, with a whopping 41 fouls called—22 by Las Vegas and 19 by Indiana. NaLyssa Smith and Jackie Young each racked up four fouls, while Boston, Howard, Mitchell, and Hull all had three. Neither head coach was pleased with how rough the game got, and Boston herself didn’t hold back either, sharing her thoughts on the physicality out on the court.

“Yeah, I mean it’s how you look at it. Honestly, by the some of the fouls and the way it was going, it looks like we were almost too physical, but yet at the same time, I feel like we have to be able to get that on the other end,” Boston said in the post-game conference. Her words were a clear call to her teammates: don’t shy away from contact–face it head-on.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Fever handle physical play in the next game and how Boston is used on offense. They’ve already defied the odds to get this far, but no one wants a Cinderella story to end just yet. To keep their run alive, they’ll need to stay focused, work hard, and hope the energy at Gainbridge Fieldhouse gives them the lift they need to reach the finals!

Who do you think will take the series? Share your thoughts in the comments below!