Aliyah Boston needed urgency. In 2024, it was almost too easy for Boston to fall behind in her playmaking aspirations since she had the phenom in Caitlin Clark dropping dimes every game. In 2025, that delivery was taken away as Clark played only 13 games, and Boston was forced to level up her creativity. And she did, going from 3.2 assists per game in 2024 to 3.7 this season. Apart from the numbers, the Fever offense looked stationary without Boston running it. This improvement has been noticed by one of the best point guards of all time: Sue Bird.

Bird appeared as a guest for a change on Aliyah Boston and Candace Parker’s ‘Post Moves’, where they reacted to a peculiar stat regarding Bird, Clark, and Boston. The stat read that Sue Bird had the most assists before turning 24 with 596, Caitlin Clark came in second at 452, and Boston ranked third at 378 in her 3 seasons. Bird was stunned to see Boston (a forward) crack the list, holding her own among elite point guards.

“Your playmaking is legit.” Sue Bird said. “Something the other day came across my desk talking about post players being playmakers and like the percentage in which they and you’re at the tippy tops. You might be the first. I can’t remember, but you’re at the tippy top. Very impressed.”

Among the top assisters in the league in 2025, Aliyah Boston has the most among post players. Boston is even ahead of Wilson, who has 3.1 assists per game in 2025. If we were to guess what stat Bird was referring to, it could be the assist percentage. Boston tops the list among Centers with an assist percentage of 20.4%. So, the interpretation of this metric is that 20.4% of all assists while Boston was on the court came from her. 

In addition to the general numbers, Boston game 60 assists to the best scorer on the team, Kelsey Mitchell. That was the most she received from anyone. Their connection grew over the season, and it was a pivotal part of Fever’s postseason run. Indiana Fever’s shooters thrived on Aliyah Boston’s kickouts as Lexie Hull was assisted by Boston 22 times (the most), and the same with Sophie Cunningham (5). However, when you create more turnovers come too. Boston has the third-highest assist-to-turnover ratio in the league among centers at 2.01.

That is an uptick from 1.59 last year. Her turnovers per game have reduced from 2.0 to 1.8, but it’s still something to improve on. Her usage rate has gone from 19.9% in 2024 to 21.5% this year. All in all, there is a huge difference between Boston’s playmaking last year to this year, and improvement is all you can ask (even from Caitlin Clark). Boston’s emergence as a playmaking force didn’t just earn statistical praise; it reignited a timeless conversation about how positional responsibilities shape a player’s impact, prompting Sue Bird, Candace Parker, and Boston herself to weigh in on the point guard vs post player debate. 

Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the Battle of Basketball Roles

One conversation was certain with Sue Bird appearing on ‘Post Moves’. The point guard vs the post players, which position is more difficult to play? Obviously, Bird argued that the point guard spot is more difficult. “I have to like dribble the ball and call a play and make sure you’re in the right spot and tell everybody what to do and and and and right.” She said. 

The extra decision-making for the point guard, like Caitlin Clark, is definitely challenging. Bird and Clark are different types of guards. While Bird was more efficient and the classic floor general, Clark is more aggressive and ball-heavy. So, arguably, Caitlin Clark has even more decisions to make as she is commanding the offense almost the entire time. The conductor of the opera, if you will. However, Boston pointed out that her center/forward position is not that easy either. 

“I got to help and then I got to rebound. Then I got to box out. Then I got to grab the board, and I got to rim run because you want I’ll let… I don’t know,” Boston said. The normal viewer tends to pay more attention to what is happening on the ball rather than off it. And the post player’s job generally happens off the ball, which is why the consensus leans towards the guards. The paint players do the dirty work, which is just as important in getting results. Sue Bird concluded the argument beautifully. “We need each other,” She said.  

Although in a different context, Boston had essentially said the same thing. When Boston’s Gamecocks met Caitlin’s Hawkeyes in college, the narrative was the stars facing off.  Something Caitlin Clark, Boston, and Iowa coach Lisa Bluder disagreed with. “It’s a team game. It’s never just gonna be one player,” Boston told reporters at the time, “And so I don’t really buy into the narrative of ‘Aliyah vs. Caitlin.’ I just buy into Gamecocks vs. Hawkeyes.” There you have it, no one position is the ‘hardest’, it’s always about the team.