Indiana Fever Try to Bounce Back Despite Recent Injuries
Fever Using Aliyah Boston’s Leadership and Communication to try and Overcome Recent Injuries
INDIANAPOLIS–With several key injuries happening lately to the Indiana Fever (19-16), Fever Forward Aliyah Boston said Thursday that the team is refusing to fall into a pattern of negative thinking.
“We just need to continue to show up and be who I am and we’ll be who we are. We need to just keep putting in the work,” said Boston. Boston is averaging 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game. She also made the All-Star game for the third time in her career this season.
Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson will all miss the remainder of the season for Indiana as they deal with serious injuries. Meanwhile, Fever guard Caitlin Clark has missed more than half the season with a groin injury. She hasn’t played since July 15. The team says she also sustained a mild ankle injury that she suffered during an individual workout during her rehab. With no timetable clear for Clark’s return, it is unclear if the ankle injury will affect when she can return to the court.
“She (Caitlin) wants to be out there and she wants to be with her team. She wants to be with her team. She’s working her butt off to get back into those situations. Each time you have a tweak or something else, it’s frustrating,” said Fever Head Coach Stephanie White after practice on Thursday.
Boston says communication both on and off the court will be key to the team’s success. The Fever play the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night. The Lynx have the best record in the WNBA at 28-6.
“We need to just keep working on our defense. Minnesota likes to space the floor and move the ball. We need to make sure we’re aggressive and we’re all connected,” said Boston.
White says Boston’s leadership has been incredible all season long and has no reason to believe it won’t continue.
“Throughout the course of everything we’ve gone through this season, she’s been great in every facet. Her communication on both ends of the floor is really good, her ability to connect people, and her ability to stay locked in is what stands out to me,” said White.
White says she’s always making sure her injured players never feel left out.
“We want to keep all of our injured players as connected as possible. We want to reach out and touch base with them because we know it’s a lonely and isolating feeling when you’re going through an injury,” said White.
Fever Using Aliyah Boston’s Leadership and Communication to try and Overcome Recent Injuries was originally published on wibc.com
