If you exclude Unrivaled, then for the first time in eight years, Aliyah Boston missed a basketball game during Sunday’s clash against the Seattle Storm. It was soon revealed that Boston had suffered a similar injury to the one that had previously forced her to miss the knockout stages of Unrivaled. Panic quickly swept across Indiana Fever fans, who feared a repeat of last season’s injury troubles. But now, it looks like the Fever faithful can finally breathe a little easier.

In an X post, Scott Agness confirmed that Boston might be fit for the upcoming Fever game against the Portland Fire, noting that she also trained with the team in the gym

“Great news for the Fever: No player is listed on the injury report, so Aliyah Boston is doing better and came through today’s practice just fine. Fever host the Portland Fire on Wednesday,” Agness shared in his post.

It was revealed after the Washington Mystics game that Aliyah Boston had suffered a meniscus injury. However, head coach Stephanie White did not confirm whether her latest injury was related to that issue, only saying that Boston is currently day-to-day.

But in her pre-game presser ahead of the Portland game, Boston hinted at it slightly. “Just being cautious, and that’s kind of my call to pull myself out of there,” Boston said. “I mean, yeah, it’s just my lower leg. I’ve definitely had moments with that, and so for me it’s just about taking it day-to-day.”

“I think the coaching staff and the medical staff have done a great job. Just talking to me and making sure, asking me how I’m feeling, and just kind of going off that,” the Fever center added further.

Further in her conversation, Aliyah Boston also revealed that her discomfort with the injury is quite movement-specific. Yet despite that, the clips from the latest Fever training showcase Boston defending the paint with agility. All in all, these are very good signs moving into the Portland Fire game.

It would be fair to say that the injury Boston suffered in Unrivaled hampered the center’s preseason preparation. The meniscus injury forced Boston to miss two preseason games, and the Indiana Fever medical staff have also been extra careful in managing her workload since then.

In the three games she has played so far, Boston has averaged just 23 minutes per game. That’s a noticeable contrast to last season, when she regularly logged over 30 minutes a night. Her restricted workload has also affected the Fever’s overall rhythm on the court.

Without their marquee frontcourt player at her best, the Indiana Fever have struggled to consistently control games. They are 2-2 to start the season, and in both losses against the Dallas Wings and the Washington Mystics, the Fever failed to establish dominance in the paint. Dallas grabbed three more defensive rebounds than Indiana, while Washington completely controlled the boards with a 44-29 rebounding advantage.

Having Boston potentially available is massive news for the Fever. However, there’s still a chance we may not see Boston fully back to her best just yet. Rachel DeMita spoke about the situation on her YouTube channel a couple of days ago, saying, “Meniscus injuries are just so irritating because you can be at 70-80%, but getting to 100% with a meniscus injury is hard.”

In a guard-heavy Fever roster, Boston is the player the team relies on to bring balance in the frontcourt. You could argue that the Fever do have other frontcourt options in Myisha Hines-Allen and Monique Billings, but Boston offers far more than just physicality in the paint. 

She is also a major offensive weapon, and her pick-and-roll chemistry with Caitlin Clark has become one of the central themes of the Indiana Fever offense. And you can bet that the Fever center is doing everything possible to focus on her fitness and long-term sustainability moving forward.

Aliyah Boston Shares Her Approach in Training Camp Amid Injury Uncertainty

The Indiana Fever and head coach Stephanie White have been all-in in managing players’ workloads this season. Even before the season tipped off, White had boldly assigned Caitlin Clark an off-the-ball role. Further, the Fever head coach also mentioned that CC won’t have to be involved in every rep of the training session.

Even in Aliyah Boston’s case, White said the team isn’t rushing her recovery. She added that she wants to give her ample time to make substantial progress. Similarly, the Fever center herself isn’t rushing off things to get back to her full flow, taking a strategic roadmap instead.

“I think in practice just being strategic with reps,” Boston said. “Obviously, you want to build that chemistry. So, for me, just making sure, I’m doing exactly like we’re doing certain drills. Make sure I’m in there, especially if it’s focused on new action and stuff like that. But honestly, I think everyone’s been doing a great job managing my minutes, performance in practice, and stuff like that. Everything’s great. We’re on a great path.”

Considering these aspects, it’s quite certain that White will lean towards caution rather than deploying Aliyah Boston for more minutes to win the Fire game. The chances remain that we will get to see the three-time All-Star hoop on Wednesday.

But a good 30-35 minutes amid this injury fiasco seems unlikely at this moment for Boston. Even then, the addition isn’t a breather for the Indiana Fever. It’s not demeaning players like Monique Billings and Myisha Hines-Allen, who guided the team to victory against Seattle.

But the skill sets that Boston actually brings are just off the charts. Be it creative playmaking on occasions, dominance on the boards, defending, or even her scoring, the Fever center is a jack of all trades for the Fever. And getting her for even half the game can raise the team’s ceiling.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how Aliyah Boston fares in the Fire game. With the game set to tip off in a few hours, who are you cheering for in the game? Do let us know in the comments.