Offseason for Aliyah Boston rarely means sitting idle. This time, Miami is calling her again. In Unrivaled’s inaugural season last year, the South Carolina alum led her team to the finals. As a part of Team Vinyl last season, she averaged 5.9 points and 5 rebounds. With Kelsey Mitchell finally joining the 3×3 league and Lexie Hull returning as the defending champion, many wondered when Boston would also announce her participation. Now, that wait is over.

The Unrivaled revealed one of their returning players in Boston. Taking to its X account, the league posted, “ALIYAH BOSTON IS UNRIVALED ✅ Presented by @ally Catch her again in Season 2 starting Jan. 5 on TNT, truTV and Max.”

Along with the post was a photo of the former Gamecock showcasing some facts about her, including her stats, hometown, and random trivia. No doubt, joining Unrivaled once again will only boost the forward’s position in women’s basketball as she continues to ace her game.

With her all-around game already surging in Clark’s absence, Unrivaled offers a stage where Boston can keep developing her ability to create offense on her own. And she’s not the only Fever star to suit up for Unrivaled’s second iteration.

While revealing their returning 25 players, Lexie Hull from the Fever’s backcourt also made the list. She played with the Rose BC in the inaugural season and won over Boston’s Vinyl 62-54 to take the first championship title.

The timing matters.

Boston has had one of the most successful seasons this year under the Fever HC Stephanie White. In the regular season, with Caitlin Clark indefinitely sidelined, the 23-year-old not only scaled her scoring and rebounding but also became a reliable playmaker for White. In fact, she ended up sixth in the league MVP race after posting 15 points, 8.2 rebounds, and a career-high 3.7 assists in the regular season. The 2023 Rookie of the Year led the Fever to a 24-20 record despite injuries to Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson.

In the playoffs, those numbers have only improved with 12.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Backed with Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard, the forward fueled a winner-take-all Game 3 victory with 14 points, 12 boards, and 6 assists over the Atlanta Dream. Now, Boston and the Fever squad are giving the Las Vegas Aces all they can handle and some more in the second round. Not to mention Boston’s camaraderie and leadership for the Fever locker room.

Standing toe-to-toe with fellow South Carolina alum A’ja Wilson and forcing Game 5 on the Las Vegas Aces, Aliyah Boston has proven why she’s a force in the paint. Although she will try to push the Fever into a Finals appearance, she is also already planning what she would do when the WNBA season finally winds down.

She already announced her new stint with NBC and Peacock as a studio analyst and possibly a Big Ten basketball in-game analyst to follow her current WNBA head coach Stephanie White’s path, who calls college and NBA games for ESPN in the offseason. But it wouldn’t be a new stint for the 2023 ROTY.

She made her broadcasting debut during the 2023-24 season as a studio analyst for Peacock’s women’s college basketball coverage, where she earned positive reviews. Boston also expanded her media experience by joining ESPN’s coverage of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. She was also part of the on-ground reporting team during the 2024 WNBA draft, where she was the first to congratulate Caitlin Clark, the first overall pick.

And she is all set to take it all to the 3×3 Unrivaled league. It’s a career choice that both fans and analysts already see as key to cementing her as one of the WNBA’s next dominant forwards.

Boston’s Unrivaled Return Supercharges Offseason Buzz

Although Caitlin Clark helped the Fever with its first playoff appearance after almost a decade last season, it was Aliyah Boston who started their revival. After her arrival, the Fever went from a 5-31 record in 2022 to 13-27 in Boston’s rookie season as she won the 2023 Rookie of the Year honor. She remains one of the most popular Fever players, and her Unrivaled comeback is sure to bring in fans.

Actually, they’re not even trying to hide the fact, as one wrote, “She is a huge reason I will be tuning in! Love all other players too, but AB is the reason I began watching basketball in 2023.” When a 17-year-old Boston arrived at South Carolina to be coached under Dawn Staley, she defined how perfection is something she strives for. Over the years, as a Gamecock, she kept proving that it was not just her wishful thinking but something she would eventually be. With 4 Lisa Leslie awards, an NPOY, a national championship title, and a plethora of honors behind her, the 2023 first overall pick became a force for the Fever’s rise. No wonder the fans started watching the WNBA because of her.

“Ugh fine ok ok I’ll watch jeez. But ONLY for the Fever girls plus Kate,” added another. Ahem, a little favoritism here, it seems. But we do need to understand how Indiana fans are quite loyal and follow their players everywhere they go. As for Kate Martin, well, again, there’s that Caitlin Clark connection that you simply cannot ignore. Not to mention, she proved herself in her debut with both the WNBA and the Unrivaled. So when the game is this good, people will come.

The intrigue was visible as Unrivaled set multiple popularity benchmarks in its first season, including sellouts at its 850-seat Wayfair Arena, cable records on TNT Sports, and an average TV audience north of 200,000 across the full season. Showcasing their marquee and most popular players, like Boston, is a huge reason for that. “The best center in the WNBA is UNRIVALED,” wrote another fan in the same breath.

She has already been established as one of the most dominant forwards in the league. And this season, she tried a hand at her playmaking skills, too, to amp up her overall production. Regardless, the Fever fandom will always hype their player. The Indiana Fever has arguably the biggest fanbase in the league, and many would tune in to watch Boston’s progress. 

And if they fulfill this fan’s wish, that effect might compound further. “KM AND AB SAME TEAM, PLEASE,” requested a fan. Kelsey Mitchell will be joining Unrivaled from 2026, and what better than pairing up one of the most damaging forward-guard duos in the WNBA? Not only will Unrivaled be even more thrilling, but it will also increase the competition tenfold. Boston was on Vinyl after the players were segregated based on style, so Mitchell and Boston could end up together. But there are new teams in the league as well that could hinder that chance.

While Mitchell is on a $249,244 contract for 2025 after re-signing, Boston is still on her rookie paycheck. Unrivaled will help her to “Get her bag,” like another fan wrote. Unrivaled was primarily created to help the WNBA players, who get a measly salary, earn what they deserve without having to go to international leagues during the offseason. And so, the 23-year-old will certainly be grabbing some big bucks with her second straight year in the 3×3 league.

In the WNBA, Boston will earn $83,371 in her third year as per her rookie contract that ends the next season. While we don’t have an exact figure for Boston’s Unrivaled salary, the league paid a guaranteed minimum of around $100,000, with an average salary a little above $200,000. There were also bonuses like $50,000 per player for the championship team (which Boston got close to). With the valuation shooting to $340 million in 2025, the pay could rise further next year. But what do you think about Boston’s rise?