Aliyah Boston delivers perfect reaction to Caitlin Clark’s career night originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Aliyah Boston could not help the Indiana Fever on the court Sunday, but she still found a way to celebrate Caitlin Clark’s historic performance. Boston missed Indiana’s game against the Chicago Sky because of a right lower-leg injury. The former No. 1 overall pick nevertheless joined the Fever on the sideline and watched Clark dismantle Chicago’s defense.
Clark finished with 37 points and 10 assists in Indiana’s 113-90 victory, helping the Fever snap a two-game skid. She also made a career-high eight 3-pointers in 12 attempts. Boston offered a simple two-word reaction on social media.
“Splashhhhhh babyyyy,” Boston wrote after sharing the Fever’s post celebrating Clark’s shooting performance.
It was an appropriate response to one of the most explosive perimeter displays of Clark’s professional career.
Clark caught fire from deepClark previously had made seven 3-pointers in a WNBA game three times. She finally broke through that barrier in Chicago. The Fever star reached the milestone late in the fourth quarter and finished 13-of-24 overall. Her eight triples accounted for nearly half of Indiana’s 18 made 3-pointers.
View this profile on InstagramKelsey Mitchell joined the show by making six shots from long range and scoring 30 points. Together, Clark and Mitchell became the first pair of teammates in WNBA history to each record at least 30 points and six 3-pointers in the same game, according to the Fever’s official recap.
Indiana needed both guards to take control without Boston occupying the middle.
They did exactly that.
MORE: Caitlin Clark shuts down question about controversial Fever-Sky incident
Boston remains part of Indiana’s playoff equationBoston’s absence created an obvious hole in the Fever lineup. She provides interior scoring, rebounding and a reliable screening partner for Clark. Indiana will need her healthy if it hopes to make a deep postseason run.
The Fever showed Sunday that their backcourt can still carry the offense when Boston is unavailable. That is an encouraging development, but it does not make the injured center replaceable. Indiana improved to 25-14 and remained fifth in the WNBA standings. The Fever still have an opportunity to climb before the regular season ends, especially with teams tightly grouped ahead of them.
Clark’s fifth career game with at least 30 points and 10 assists offered another reason to believe Indiana could become dangerous in the playoffs. No other player in league history has produced as many such performances.
Boston clearly enjoyed watching her teammate make history. The Fever would prefer to have their All-Star center participating in the next celebration rather than cheering from the sideline. Until she returns, though, Boston will continue providing energy in any way she can.
Her reaction to Clark’s shooting exhibition captured the mood perfectly.
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