INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 18: Indiana Fever center-forward Aliyah Boston 7 reacts to the call in the second half of play during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on July 18, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 18 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon071826029
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 18: Indiana Fever center-forward Aliyah Boston 7 reacts to the call in the second half of play during a WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA game between the New York Liberty and the Indiana Fever on July 18, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire WNBA: JUL 18 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon071826029
The 17-day World Cup break has turned out to be detrimental for Indiana forward Aliyah Boston. After finishing with just six points against the Mystics, head coach Stephanie White is left concerned about Boston.
Boston has failed to reach double figures in either game since the break, a stark departure from her season norm. With the playoffs approaching, White knows Boston has to return to her form if the Fever want to go all the way.
"I'm concerned — we gotta get AB going," White said. "We gotta find a way to get her some touches. She's gotta be a focal point of everything that we do."
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 08: Aliyah Boston 7 of the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark 22 of the Indiana Fever looks on during a game against the Chicago Sky on August 8, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 08 Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260808181
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 08: Aliyah Boston 7 of the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark 22 of the Indiana Fever looks on during a game against the Chicago Sky on August 8, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 08 Indiana Fever at Chicago Sky EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260808181
White's concerns over Boston's form were reported by Fever reporter Scott Agness on X.
With an offensive rating of 116.4, the Fever have the best offensive rating in the league this season. Boston, averaging 16.4 points, has played a major part in that, alongside guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.
Mitchell's seven-point outing against the Mystics contributed to the Fever's first loss in three games.
White also flagged bench inconsistency as a concern.
"We've got to get more from our bench from a consistency standpoint. And we've got to be middle of the pack, at least in terms of our defensive efficiencies," she added.
With just one regular-season game remaining, against the Lynx, White will hope to see Boston up and running.
On the other hand, White praised Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s performance in the latest win.
Cunningham's defensive bounce-back
After failing to score a single point against the Mystics, Cunningham impressed White with her defensive work rate against the Lynx.
"I thought her activity level on the defensive end and her aggressiveness was really good," White said, per HITC's Josh Barker. "Her communication was really good. So, yeah, proud of that bounce back."
Cunningham scored 11 points, including three 3-pointers. With her ninth point, she crossed 2,000 for her WNBA career.
However, it was her work on the defense that pleased White. In just 29 minutes on the court, the veteran sharpshooter landed two rebounds and two assists in the Fever’s 96-77 blowout win.
Written by
Avishek Sarkar