Within the first few days of training camp, an element that may have flown under the radar. This is how much of an impact Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith will provide as a one-two punch for an ever-growing Fever offense. Coming into the start of the Indiana Fever’s training camp, many knew what they were getting in their No. 1 overall draft pick in Caitlin Clark.
Yet, the shooting and ability to stretch the floor along with her passing puts Smith almost immediately
at the top of every opposition’s scouting report. For Boston, seeing her fellow frontcourt mate continue to come into her own only bodes well for the future:
Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston on teammate NaLyssa Smith
“I think just being able to see her ability to continue to shoot the ball and make plays, attack from the perimeter, have that pull up jumper, and also be able to get down low and bang. I think sometimes, you know with NaLyssa (Smith) playing at the four, they’re smaller fours and so she’s able to post them up.”
this duo is about to be dangerous 😈 pic.twitter.com/Q1htLv3giF
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 30, 2024
Boston continued by saying the addition of Clark at the point will only open the floor up more for her and her fellow big:
“I’m really excited about what we can do. … Caitlin’s (Clark) ability to pass that ball, to get it into the post at the right angle. It’s going to be really good for us too because we know if we run, Caitlin’s going to get it to us.”
Boston on the impact Clark will have on the Fever
Aliyah Boston on the Fever’s Roster and its Capabilities
In her rookie season, Boston put her stamp on the game when she racked up WNBA Rookie of the Year along with a WNBA All-Star nod as she finished the season with an average of 14.5 points per game (ppg) and 8.4 rebounds per game (RPG). But in the span of the league, she sat at third throughout all forwards with an effective field goal percentage of 58.3%.
And while they continue to gel into a cohesive offensive unit, Boston understands that one of their greatest strengths is the ability of anyone on the floor to play different positions:
“You want to be able to put people in different positions because there’s going to be a mismatch whether that’s in the post, that’s in the guard defensively or offensively. Just being able to have so many people that are great at their positions and able to do multiple things at different positions is only going to help us especially moving forward in the season.”
Boston on the versatility of the Fever’s roster
NaLyssa Smith on the Fever’s Offense Entering the WNBA Season
In Smith, the Fever saw a prominent frontcourt mate coming into her own in her second season when she recorded an average of 15 and 9 throughout her first 19 games before a sprained ankle sidelined her for a month.
Throughout that time and upon her return, however, she showed signs of growth from her All-Rookie season by putting up 15 and 8. This included a career-high of 30 points on 66% shooting from the field last September in a win over the Dallas Wings. Smith finished the season with the second-highest field goal percentage within two-point range with 51%, trailing only Boston’s 58%.
we > me pic.twitter.com/u43lyAclgD
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 30, 2024
And with less than two weeks remaining before their season opener at Connecticut, Smith realizes that the offensive options are endless with a team that also touts WNBA All-Star, Kelsey Mitchell alongside her and Boston:
“For everybody, it’s going to open things up. You guard her, AB’s open. You guard AB, I’m
NaLyssa Smith on the Fever’s offense
open. You guard me, [Kelsey] Mitchell’s open. We have so many scorers that it’s like you can’t
focus on one person. Everybody can score and everybody is great on this team.”
Smith, Boston, Clark, and the Fever open the 2024 WNBA Season on the road against the Connecticut Sun on May 14th.
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