As the defending champions made their way down to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Caitlin & Co. looked to snatch away the metaphorical crown. And while the backcourt matchup between Caitlin Clark and Natasha Cloud drew in the spotlight, Boston stole it away with a monstrous 27-point double-double. For Coach White, however, there was much left to be desired.
In what was expected to be a potential preview of the finals for many, Stephanie White’s side unfortunately didn’t bring their best, and it started with her star, Caitlin Clark. While Clark’s double-double has the potential to fool, her missed shots reveal the true story. Guarded by the defensive maestro Natasha Cloud, Clark only made 2 of the 11 threes she took, finishing 6 of 18 from the field. But to Coach White, Clark’s real blunder would be her carelessness in possession. CC committed 10 of the Fever’s 15 turnovers during the game, wasting crucial possessions in a tight contest. The last turnover, however, was the most controversial one as Cloud appeared to get a bit too physical with Clark before she poked the ball out. Although the coach made sure to give the refs a piece of her mind in her post-game presser, White also accepted that flaws in their own execution cost them the game.
“It’s disappointing, you know, that it, that it, that it doesn’t go both ways or it hasn’t gone both ways. But we also can’t allow that to consume us, right? Like we’ve got to be able to, to play through that. We’ve got to be able to control the things that we can control.” White said. The Fever played inconsistent basketball through the 4 periods. While their play in the third quarter and even the last reflected their championship acumen, the same couldn’t be said of the first half.
So while Steph was still satisfied with the Fever’s execution down the stretch, the same wasn’t the case for Boston. “You know, I felt like at times our late game execution was good and I consider most of the, the latter half of the fourth quarter because it was a tight ball game. We’re still not recognizing our mismatches. You know, I felt like AB had plenty of opportunities. We could have gotten her touches down low and, you know, we, we had some turnovers, key turnovers.” she said.
While Boston had a strong double-double display against the defending champions, a missed hook shot in the final minutes of the game stained an impressive performance. But the coach’s criticism is not a way of throwing Boston under the bus, but rather explaining how she can do more to help them, and asserting Aliyah’s potential as a young star. Boston’s 27 points & 13 rebounds weren’t just a strong performance, but a good sign of the times to come.
Boston’s solid sophomore season lays the path
After a solid sophomore campaign in 2024 that saw the Fever make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Boston has entered her third season looking like a force to be reckoned with. She’s not just a cornerstone anymore; she is the dominant interior force the Fever envisioned when they drafted her. Through the first 4 games of the season, she is posting career-high numbers across the board, averaging 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. Her efficiency, a hallmark of her rookie year, is back at an elite level, shooting over 59% from the field.
Boston’s synergy with Clark has become one of the most lethal combinations in the WNBA and was on display against the Liberty as well. In the first half alone, six of Clark’s eight assists were to Boston, a clear sign of their “indisputable” chemistry. And while Aliyah will continue to receive perfect dimes from her point guard, Stephanie White had announced in the preseason that her center will be doing more than just that.
White had discussed using Boston as a hub this season, and it has been evident early on with the jump Boston’s numbers have taken. “I think sometimes when we use the term hub, oftentimes they think passing all the time and it’s not. It’s using her to get into another action,” White said during the preseason. “I want her to be a little bit more selfish in that from that standpoint, but I think that’s going to come. It’s going to come when she gets more comfortable in her reads.”
With the personnel now to put credible shooters around Boston and provide her spacing, the Fever can further unlock her potential. White and her staff want to utilize Boston’s desire to move around, placing her in different spots all over the floor. “I think it’s going to help her a lot,” White said of the new offense. “Now finding her spots is a little bit different in our system than what she’s been used to. So I think really hunting opportunities when she has them, whether it’s mismatches, whether it’s after an action that she’s involved in.”
So while the head coach’s criticism might’ve appeared harsh to the young gun, it is merely a matter of high expectations. As Stephanie White has refused to let Boston take a lesser role, pushing her constantly to be the star she’s capable of being. And while others around the league continue to focus on Clark, the Fever will have a deadly focal point to their offense when the Playoffs swing around.
The post Aliyah Boston Falls Victim to Indiana Fever HC’s Criticism as Caitlin Clark & Co. Made Blunder Against NY Liberty appeared first on EssentiallySports.
