The Indiana Fever took on the Washington Mystics in an exciting finish to the WNBA regular season on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,711 fans and setting the new WNBA single game attendance record, the Fever came up short in the last seconds of the final quarter, falling 91-92. The Mystics rounded out their season with a hometown win, and the Fever head to Connecticut in their first playoff appearance since 2016 to face the Suns in the first-round series.
Key to the Fever’s groundbreaking regular season is VIS Mentor Aliyah Boston. Setting the franchise record for the most rebounds in a season, a record she set last year, Boston has been instrumental in leading the Fever to a post-season appearance. We caught up with Boston after the game to talk about what mentorship looks like to her and the importance of women coaching women.
Women Coaching Women
As the first overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year, AP Rookie of the Year, and 2024 WNBA All-Star, Boston is proving to be one of the greatest basketball players of our generation. And it’s only her sophomore season. Prior to her professional career, Boston was a record-breaking forward under the leadership of legendary Head Coach Dawn Staley at the University of South Carolina.
Mentorship has shaped all aspects of Boston’s game. Whether she’s the mentor or the mentee, Boston believes that “mentorship can look like a lot of different things, but I think the one constant thing is just making sure you’re there for those who need you, always being an open ear for them, always being able to communicate with them no matter what.”
The source behind Boston’s insights as a mentor is none other than Staley. Leading the South Carolina Gamecocks to three national championships and being a five-time WNBA All-Star herself, Staley prioritizes developing good people along with basketball stars. “I’m going to show you how to be consistent in how you deal with people. When you treat people good, they treat you better,” Staley said about her approach to coaching.
“Mentorship can look like a lot of different things, but I think the one constant thing is just making sure you’re there for those who need you.”
Staley’s coaching and mentorship resonates with Boston. “I think it’s important that women should coach women in sports because we know exactly what we’re going through, what we’re experiencing,” Boston says when reflecting on her own experiences. “I think sometimes it’s just hard when there’s a different gender just because, this might be detailed, but time of the month, different emotions that come with that. Sometimes it can be hard to embrace, but I’ve been blessed with women’s coaches so they’ve always understood exactly what it means to have that role.”
The Mentee Becomes the Mentor
Boston embraced the lessons from her alma mater and translated it to the court. As a top performer for the Fever, Boston balances the responsibility of being a role model by “understanding that someone’s always watching” and continuing “to embrace that.” The regular WNBA season saw attendance up 47% across the league and a 170% increase in ESPN viewership according to Front Office Sports. With all eyes on the WNBA and the Fever headed into the postseason, Boston is making sure that she “[handles her] business on the court but also making sure that [she knows] that there’s always someone looking.”
Boston understands firsthand the pressures and expectations potential WNBA Rookie of the Year and Fever teammate Caitlin Clark feels. As the 2023 WNBA number one draft pick and ROTY, Boston served as a pillar of support for Clark this season. Whether it's serving on Clark’s “de-escalation committee” or offering words of advice, Clark says she’s “really thankful for [Boston].” In an interview with Clutch Points, Clark expressed her gratitude for Boston: “She has a great voice, she's always there, whether things are great or things aren't as great. She's just a very consistent person in our locker room. She's been someone who's been really helpful throughout my rookie year, having gone through it just a year ago.”
Despite only being in her second season with the WNBA, Boston highlights how anyone can be a mentor, no matter their age or experience. Players like Boston show us how people in our lives, like coaches and teammates, can offer guidance and new perspectives to elevate our game and bring our team to the next level.
