In February 2026, Aliyah Boston hurt her knee while playing for Phantom BC in Unrivaled. It sidelined her for the rest of the season, and she also missed the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament. When the WNBA season rolled around, though, she returned and almost made fans forget at times that she got hurt. However, as it turns out, Boston was far from 100%.
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On Thursday, the Fever announced that Boston had undergone arthroscopic surgery on her right knee to repair the lateral meniscus.
“Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston underwent successful surgery on Wednesday, the team has announced,” the team wrote in its official announcement.
“Boston, who earned her fourth-straight WNBA All-Star selection this season, had a right knee arthroscopy to repair the lateral meniscus. The surgery was performed by Dr. Corey Kendall at OrthoIndy.
“Boston will begin the rehabilitation process with the Fever’s medical and performance team, and further updates will be provided as they become available.”
The Fever star received an outpouring of support on social media, with fans wishing her a speedy recovery while others issued an early warning to the league: a healthy Boston could be a force to reckon with next season.
“Played all season long injured and still saw some career jumps in her stats; well, this should be scary for next season,” one fan wrote.
Boston battled leg trouble throughout the season, but it seemed to have hardly impacted her production. The All-Star big missed four regular-season games, the first missed games after 275 consecutive appearances through college and the WNBA, but she still averaged 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
The Indiana Fever pushed the Las Vegas Aces to a series-deciding Game 5 in the semifinals last playoffs, and Aliyah Boston was the biggest reason. She defended A’ja Wilson as well as anybody ever had. And this year, too, she was just as remarkable during the playoffs, averaging 19.7 points while shooting 58.1% from the field. She was also Indiana’s best 3-point shooter in the series (45.5%).
“My girl was on one leg and still battling A’ja Wilson. She was the best player for the Fever in that series smh,” one fan wrote.
“Meniscus injuries are the cruelest kind of slow burn, but Boston coming back from this is gonna hit different,” one fan said.
Boston’s right-leg troubles had given fans a scare during Indiana’s regular-season finale against Minnesota, raising fresh questions about her availability heading into the playoffs.
The Fever center had already experienced another setback in July, when she was forced out of a 105–95 victory over Seattle. That incident occurred in the second quarter as Boston cut toward the basket to collect a pass from Caitlin Clark. She became tangled with Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson and fell onto her right knee, visibly uncomfortable as she remained on the court.
Medical staff attended to her before helping her to the locker room. Although Boston rejoined her teammates on the bench after halftime, she was held out for the remainder of the contest as a precaution. Coach Stephanie White later explained that the team did not consider the risk of bringing her back worthwhile.
The issue returned in September against the Minnesota Lynx. Boston departed late in the first half of Indiana’s 86–66 defeat and did not return, with the team citing a right lower-leg injury.
White subsequently characterized the setback as a recurrence of the same problem Boston had been managing earlier in the season. The loss left Indiana in sixth place heading into the playoffs, with a first-round matchup against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces awaiting them. Boston was then listed as questionable for Game 1 before being cleared.
“I definitely started the year with a lot of uncertainty,” Boston said at her exit interview on Oct. 3. “I think there were definitely some games where I was hindered a little bit, then obviously we know I missed some games. It was definitely a change for me because I’m somebody that just loves to compete and love to pay, and I never like to sit out. So, it definitely had it’s impact. But we made it through a full season.”
A fan then made a bold prediction: “We’re coming for everything next season”.
As of now, Boston is expected to return to Unrivaled, where she earned Defensive Player of the Year honors last season. However, whether she will be fit in time for the upcoming campaign remains uncertain, with the league scheduled to tip off on January 8.
The franchise, too, has one job to do. The Fever struggled this season to find reliable frontcourt support for Boston, a weakness compounded by Damiris Dantas’ season-ending meniscus injury in August. Addressing that shortage is now on the agenda for 2027, with general manager Amber Cox identifying frontcourt reinforcements as a key priority during her exit interview.