For the second year in a row, the Connecticut Sun hosted and sold out a game at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. As the Sun took on the Indiana Fever, the game reflected an increased demand for women’s basketball in non-WNBA cities and represents a milestone in market expansion for the league and for women’s sports. Before the game, Fever center and VIS Mentor Aliyah Boston gave us insight on her homecoming and investing in the future of Boston women’s sports.

Aliyah’s Story

Growing up nearby in Worcester, Massachusetts, Aliyah Boston had a standout high school career. She was named Gatorade Player of the Year three times during her tenure at Worcester Academy. Now, she takes the court as a professional for the first time ever in her home state—where the WNBA was not always as accessible for fans like her. Though it would’ve meant a lot for there to be a team in Boston while she was growing up, she credits her mom for doing whatever she could to expose her to the league.

“My mom always invested in us in different ways, and that was always having the WNBA app and whatever it took to watch games. So that’s really what I did,” she said before the game.

It is safe to say that Boston has made an immeasurable impact in her home state early on in her career. The city of Boston declared July 14 as “Aliyah Boston Day” at the Massachusetts State House the day before tipoff. Boston, her coaches, and her teammates attended the ceremony in support of everything she continues to do for the city.

“The impact that she’s made on young girls and boys, and, you know, her ability to lead, on the floor and off the floor and impact the community. You see that in who she is as a person and who she is as a human being,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said via the Indiana Fever. 

Aliyah’s Vision for Boston Basketball

Fans continue to show up in Boston for women’s sports. The past two games hosted at TD Garden have fans pleading their case for an expansion franchise, or even a relocation of the Connecticut Sun who had announced they are exploring a sale at the beginning of the season. When asked if she thinks Boston would be a good city for a WNBA team, Boston emphasized that she thinks every game at TD Garden will be this successful due to the fan culture.

“Absolutely. I think when you look at the atmosphere for the Celtics, when you look at the atmosphere for the two TD Garden games now we’ve had, it’s been sold out, it’s been energy. The atmosphere has been great and I think that’s going to be the same all the time,” she says.

“I think when you look at the atmosphere for the Celtics, when you look at the atmosphere for the two TD Garden games now we’ve had, it’s been sold out, it’s been energy. The atmosphere has been great and I think that’s going to be the same all the time.”

VIS Mentor Aliyah Boston

Thinking Beyond the Court

Aliyah is thinking beyond basketball as well in the city of Boston. It was announced this week that she is an investor of the new NWSL expansion franchise, the Boston Legacy, which kicks off their inaugural season next year. This expansion marked yet another monumental moment for women’s sports in Boston and Aliyah said investing just felt right.

“This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am. I couldn't be more excited to have the opportunity to invest into a franchise that's building something special for its players, for the city, and for women’s sports as a whole. And yes… Boston repping Boston just felt right,” she said in a statement via Boston Legacy FC. 

As for crowds, Aliyah has no doubt that fans will show up the same way for the Legacy as they have for the WNBA at TD Garden. “Oh they’re going to be there, I don’t even have to question it. They are going to be there, I know it,” she said.

This passion, investment, and vision for the future that Aliyah carries beyond herself comes naturally. And Fever head coach Stephanie White is proud to see her player contributing and getting the recognition she deserves from Massachusetts at the State House. “She is a giver. And she is a leader. And it was really incredible the way that they honored her yesterday and we were happy that we were able to be a part of it,” she said.

Aliyah Boston’s return to Massachusetts was more than a homecoming for her and the city. It was a glimpse into the future of women’s sports in Boston. With packed arenas, city-wide recognition, and her investment in the foundation being built, she’s not just playing the game. She’s shaping where it’s headed.