INDIANAPOLIS — Aliyah Boston is “stealing all of them.” Them meaning rebounds.
That was Caitlin Clark’s statement to close the Indiana Fever’s postgame news conference Friday after their 90-82 win over the Golden State Valkyries at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark’s fellow teammates and pregame hugging partner tied her regular-season career high in rebounds with 16.
In addition to her 16 boards, Boston scored 20 points on 8 of 15 shooting from the floor. Boston accounted for half of the team’s offensive rebounds with four on the night. One of those rebounds came with 5:42 left in the game. Boston’s aggressiveness on the glass led to a Sophie Cunningham 3-pointer that gave the Fever a crucial 78-70 lead.
Boston credited her solid night on the glass to being in good position, getting down low and rolling out hard. Clark acknowledged Boston’s performance on the glass as a reason why the Valkyries weren’t able to pull off a late comeback. Boston had six rebounds in the fourth quarter.
In response to Clark’s friendly comments about her being a thief down low, Boston retorted, “I needed them.”
Buy 2026 Indiana Fever tickets!
Boston collected 23 rebounds in the first four games she played this season. She had 43 in her first four games of the 2025 season. In 2024, Boston collected 28, and in her rookie year, 24. Boston secured 10 or more rebounds in three of the first four games of the 2025 season. It took her five games to get her first double-digit rebound performance of this season.
So, she did need “them.”
”She stretches herself; she accepts whatever challenge you give her. She wants to be great,” coach Stephanie White said when asked about Boston’s growth as a player. “Aliyah comes into the WNBA primarily as a back-to-the-basket player. Now you see her last year, facilitating and handling the ball.
“This year, you see her doing that and shooting 3s. You see her moving in different positions on the floor, directing traffic. She’s just scratching the surface of where she can be, but she wants to stretch and be challenged. She accepts every one of those challenges.”
Boston has been open about her struggle with perfectionism and her journey with giving herself grace as she grows as a player. Fever rookie Raven Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left in the third quarter. Just a second later, Johnson committed a personal foul when going for a steal on the Valkyries inbound. Johnson walked away visibly frustrated.
Before she could make it to the bench, there was Boston with her hands on Johnson’s shoulders, consoling her. The grace Boston once struggled to give herself is now the very same grace she’s encouraging others to walk in. The rebound stealer has become the giver of peace. Johnson proceeded to make a driving layup to give the Fever a 70-61 lead with 8:58 left in the fourth.
“I found AB is one of those who’s mature beyond her years. She’s an old soul and from the moment that I came in, I think she’s been a great leader,” White said. “She understands people. She understands when to challenge and when to console, so I think that she is now taking it from feeling it and knowing it to now saying it in the moment.
“At times, great players are hard on themselves, and (Aliyah) can be hard on herself. She has taken that part out and then started feeding into others, pouring into others. So when she’s frustrated, you don’t see it much because she’s encouraging and empowering those around her. That’s a really great quality to have.”
On a good night, the three-time WNBA All-Star can easily drop 20 points and grab 16 boards. But it’s on the bad nights of this season, the nights like May 13, when she scored four points in 23 minutes and fouled out, where one will see Boston at her peak. She may crack a smile and move past it. Or like the human she is, sulk in the moment.
But she won’t let bad nights conquer her like years prior. In turn, the Fever can expect more performances like Friday’s.
“I try to make sure I read my Bible and just continue to stay and pray level-headed. The biggest thing for me is, and it always has been, that God gives us a peace that passes all understanding,” Boston said pregame ahead of the Fever’s season opener against the Dallas Wings on May 9. “So even when it’s on the court, my biggest thing is just to stay calm, stay poised and understand that He already has it worked out.”
Joshua Heron is an enterprise and Fever reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @HeronReports. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Aliyah Boston ‘just scratching the surface’ of potential but stars in Fever win vs Valkyries
Reporting by Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
