Aliyah Boston Reaches New Heights with Career-Best 31, Leads Fever Past Storm Despite Quiet Night for Caitlin Clark (94-86)
SEATTLE – The Indiana Fever secured a 94-86 road victory over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night, fueled by a sensational offensive performance from Aliyah Boston. The second-year forward exploded for a career-high 31 points, leading the charge for Indiana.
While Boston dominated the scoring, the win came on a challenging night for rookie phenom Caitlin Clark, who was held to just six points. Clark struggled from the field, making only 3 of her 13 attempts, and went scoreless from beyond the three-point line, missing all six of her tries. **This marked a continuation of a recent cold streak from downtown for Clark, who has converted just one of her last 23 attempts from long range.**
Boston, the towering 6-foot-5 forward and former top overall draft pick, eclipsed her previous personal best of 30 points, set on September 8, 2024, against the Atlanta Dream. Her dominant outing followed a strong 26-point effort in her prior game against the formidable Las Vegas Aces, signaling a potential surge in her scoring production. **Her career-high 31 points were the undeniable centerpiece of the Fever’s offense.**
Guard Kelsey Mitchell provided crucial support, contributing 26 points, including five successful three-pointers. The synergy between Boston and Mitchell proved particularly potent during a decisive third quarter. The Fever outscored the Storm 30-19 in this period, largely fueled by Mitchell’s seven points and Boston’s eight. This crucial surge created a significant buffer that Seattle, despite mounting a determined late rally, ultimately could not overcome. **This dominant third quarter was pivotal in solidifying Indiana’s control of the game.**
Further bolstering the Fever’s offense were contributions from Lexie Hull, who chipped in 15 points, and Damiris Dantas, adding 10. This balanced scoring effort underscored an impressive team performance.
The game didn’t start entirely in Indiana’s favor, however. Seattle, paced by Skylar Diggins’ team-high 22 points, initially dictated the tempo, establishing an 18-12 advantage early in the first quarter after Ezi Magbegor completed a three-point play. Yet, Indiana quickly found its rhythm, controlling the remainder of the first half and taking a 45-39 lead into the intermission, capped by Mitchell’s late second-quarter three-pointer. Clark had only two points by halftime.
The win improves the Fever’s record to 7-7, bringing them to a .500 mark, while the Storm drop to 9-6. Ultimately, it was Aliyah Boston’s offensive explosion, supported by Mitchell’s scoring and a strong team effort, that proved too much for Seattle, overshadowing a challenging night for the team’s highest-profile player.
