The Indiana Fever’s hopes for a healthy 2026 season have already turned into a familiar nightmare, even before the first game has tipped off. Because after everything this team went through last year, this was supposed to be the reset. But as it turns out, it’s déjà vu!

Just a day before the Fever’s preseason opener against the New York Liberty, reports have confirmed that Aliyah Boston (lower leg), Lexie Hull (hamstring), Ty Harris (knee), and Damiris Dantas (NWT) will all miss the first game of the season.

But this wasn’t supposed to happen again, at least not this early.

Boston, Hull, and Harris have all been active in portions of practice open to the media this week, which only made the update more unexpected.

One moment, things looked normal, and the very next, four names were ruled out. For fans who are still not over the nightmares from 2025, that hits differently.

Last season, it felt like the injuries wouldn’t stop for this team.

At one point or another, key players kept dropping like flies. Caitlin Clark missed extended time with multiple setbacks, where the 24-year-old dealt with a serious quad strain, an on-and-off groin injury, and a bone bruise in her ankle, which limited her to just 13 games.

Around that same time, point guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson were both ruled out for the season in the same game, where one dealt with a broken foot, while the other with a torn ACL. Still, it didn’t stop there.

It was Sophie Cunningham who went down next with an MCL tear, while Chloe Bibby followed with a knee injury. And Damiris Dantas? She never made it back to the floor during the playoffs due to a concussion.

However, to give credit where it’s due, this team still kept pushing and went until the semifinals. But that doesn’t mean fans want to see their team go through something like that again.

Because this time, they weren’t expecting the Fever to just survive; they wanted a clean slate. So naturally, when this update went viral, fans didn’t take long to react.

Indiana Fever fans spiral as Aliyah Boston injury update triggers painful flashbacks

With four players out, it didn’t take long for fans to voice what many were already thinking and feeling.

“This cannot be real… so this season is coming for all the people last season missed?! WTF,” one fan wrote, capturing the immediate disbelief. While another added, “I’m not doing this again this year! Injuries already, and we haven’t even played a game! Going to go pay an Etsy witch to heal all Fever girls lol,” mixing frustration with a bit of humor.

This year hasn’t exactly started smoothly for Aliyah Boston.

Earlier this year, she suffered a lower extremity injury that not only ruled her out for the remainder of Unrivaled season two but also forced her to miss the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. And her importance to the Fever can’t be overstated.

Boston was one of the pillars holding everything together in 2025, carrying a significant load as injuries piled up around her. She averaged a career-high 15.0 points on an efficient 53.8% shooting, along with 8.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, which is exactly why her absence now creates a noticeable gap.

“I’m sorry, but I have PTSD from last year, I can’t 😭,” one fan added. Another fan questioned, “I’m so sick to my stomach rn… who gonna fill in for AB now with a bunch of small guard.”

With Boston sidelined for the preseason opener, the Fever will likely look toward rookie Raven Johnson to step into a bigger role, while Kelsey Mitchell could also take on added responsibility to help balance the load.

But even with options stepping in, it will be hard to replace her.

At 6’5”, Aliyah Boston anchors the paint, controls the boards, and forces defenses to collapse inside. And guards like Johnson or Mitchell simply aren’t built to fill that role, especially against size like Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty.

Yes, veterans like Monique Billings and Myisha Hines-Allen can step in and handle the physical work, but it’s more of a temporary fix than a true replacement.

Still, not every fan hit the panic button.

“Hopefully just precautions, but that is bad flashback-inducing,” one fan noted.

And that optimism isn’t entirely misplaced.

This update is understood to be precautionary, with Aliyah Boston and Tyasha Harris continuing their return-to-play plans, while Lexie Hull is simply dealing with some minor tightness. The team is taking these measures simply as a precaution, as they don’t want to put the players at any risk.

Maybe it’s nothing serious, but after everything 2025 threw at them, it’s understandable why Indiana Fever fans panicked.