It wasn’t easy, but the Indiana Fever kept the good times infectious with a historic outing from Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark.
Boston red stocks proved quite trendy as the Indiana Fever kept their mini-winning streak alive in thrilling fashion on Thursday night at home against the Chicago Fire.
Aliyah Boston tallied 34 points and 12 rebounds, the only statline that could outshine a 32-point, 10-assist output from Caitlin Clark. The two became the first WNBA teammates to put up dueling 30-point double-doubles as the Fever eked by the Chicago Sky by a 114-106 overtime final.
Kelsey Mitchell also had 19 points for the Fever (7-5) while Myisha Hines-Allen was a plus-25 spark off the bench. It was clear, however, that the night belonged to Boston and Clark, who united for the third pair of dueling 30s in Fever history (Clark/Mitchell in 2024, Mitchell/NaLyssa Smith in 2023).
““I don’t know that I can put it in perspective in terms of quantifying it, especially because they’re so young,” head coach Stephanie White said of her franchise faces, per James Boyd of The Athletic. “They’re elite at what they do. … I think I said this when (Clark) was drafted here: it’s like when you have the bookends, when you have a point guard and you have a center that are special, you can build a team around that.”
Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston had their chemistry on full display, becoming the first duo to EACH have a 30 point double-double in the same game.
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Boston Dream
Indiana continues to inch its way back up the WNBA leaderboard after winning three of its last four. Recent Fever flurries have had a flair for the dramatics.
This week opened with Clark sinking a victorious buzzer-beater in Washington while the reeling Sky, led by a 30-point outbreak from WNBA rookie Sydney Taylor gave Indiana all it could handle before red, blue, and yellow sanity prevailed in overtime. Boston built a surprising bit of her box score in the extra session, scoring half of Indiana’s 16 points and pulling in six rebounds (four offensive).
While Clark understandably grabs the headlines, Boston holds an equal share in the franchise’s course as a fellow homegrown talent. Indiana reveled in its escape from the nation’s capital but that didn’t stop from Boston from issuing a mandate of grit in the hunt for a streak.
“We’ve got to get a little tougher,” Boston said in the Chicago prelude, per Charles Huiras of WISH-TV. “I know it’s early on, but we’ve got to get a little tougher. I think for us, just keeping the main thing the main thing, and that’s focused on taking care of each possession, offensively and defensively.”
Winning Ugly
Thursday’s follow-up was far from perfect; had Chicago (4-9) pulled off the upset, focus undoubtedly would’ve turned to not only the loss of a 19-point first half lead but Clark picking up her third technical foul of the year. It was a charge that Clark claimed played into her favor, as she grew frustrated on a night where the two sides united for 69 free throw attempts.
In spite of that, Indiana appeared to take Boston’s words to heart, especially on a night where Sophie Cunningham, known for her defensive tenacity, sat due to an elbow injury.
The Fever held a plus-14 advantage on the glass (Boston’s dozen led a list of five Fever reps who pulled in at least six) and the Sky sank but one field goal on eight tries in overtime. Boston is doing her part in her fourth tour of Indianapolis, showcasing a rediscovered three-point prowess (41.4%, including 2-of-5 on Thursday) and posting the best defensive rating of her career.
30 BC
Medical maladies interrupted what Boston and Clark were trying to build last season but the duo is making up for lost time and then some. Traversing the floor in sneakers inspired by Taylor Swift‘s “Eras Tour,” Clark made it clear she and Boston knew each all too well (40-minute version).
All but two of Clark’s 10 assists helped sink Boston shots, a good bit of them brought about by the Chicago defense crashing down on the point guard. It was particularly prevalent in the first period, which saw the Fever build a 27-14 lead before Taylor went to work. Between their points, assists, and possessions created via rebound, Boston and Clark played a role 25 of the 27 tallies. The trend repeated in overtime, where Clark complemented Boston’s work with four points (including the last touches of a perfect 15-of-15 night from the foul line), two boards, and an assist.
The collaboration of Boston and Clark is a sterling case of hardwood serendipity: the two 24-year-olds posted historic collegiate careers and were jointly called up to oversee the Fever’s second wave as the respective top picks of the 2023-24 drafts. It’s safe to say that the tropes of franchise redemption have at least been subverted as they plan for further adventures in the WNBA spotlight.
Telepathic Teammates
In a year where Clark confrontations have been a focal point, the backcourt icon was perhaps all too pleased to showcase some congratulatory collaboration.
“We’re good friends. That always helps,” said Clark, claiming she and carry a form of on-floor “telepathy.” “I feel like I know who Aliyah is … You can be teammates and play basketball. But if you really care for each other and love each other off the court … that helps because when you’re on the court, you’re gonna go through moments of adversity. That’s just basketball, and that’s what helps you get through.”
The Fever will seek its third consecutive victory on Saturday evening when it hits the road to face the Connecticut Sun (6 p.m. ET, Peacock/NBCSN).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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