Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever No. 1 draft picks, shared a wholesome moment following an 81-74 triumph over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday at Target Center. Boston’s 16 rebounds were a new career high, and Clark eclipsed Sue Bird for second in all-time rookie assists.
Clark was questioned about the WNBA assist milestone, which she will undoubtedly reach, and whether finishing second in Minneapolis added personal meaning. Boston said up first, before Clark responded.
Caitlin Clark on moving to #2 in all-time rookie assists, and if being in Minneapolis for it is more meaningful:
Aliyah Boston: "Woo! Woo! Woo! Heck yea."
CC: "Not really. Probably something I won't remember. I don't know, it's cool. Yep."
Boston: "You are so funny, girl." pic.twitter.com/3YUXGhheGI
— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) July 14, 2024
Clark mentioned during her pregame press conference that the Target Center was where she witnessed the Lynx play their first WNBA game. She clearly has links to the venue from her college days at Iowa. It’s where she won back-to-back Big Ten Tournament championships and, as a result, played her final Big Ten game.
Sunday wasn’t the only time this season that Boston used her signature woos to laud Clark while reporters inquired about milestones and records. Clark appears to be in contention for every position in the book. And as the season continued, Clark and Boston’s chemistry grew. They’ve intervened on one other’s behalf during news conferences. They chuckle frequently.
Add Sunday to the list of uplifting moments between them.
In Fever’s triumph, Aliyah Boston was solid, whereas Clark was more inconsistent.
Indiana Fever player Aliyah Boston (7) races up the court on Friday, July 12, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Aliyah Boston had already secured her double-double by halftime, grabbing 10 boards and scoring five of six shots for 11 points. In the second half, she grabbed six more rebounds and made three of five shots. Boston has 38 points and 29 rebounds over its last two games. The previous game, she was fouled and only scored six points on four shots.
“I think I was just trying to make sure that I’m able to rebound the ball, be in the best position for my teammates,” Boston told ESPN. “I think to start they game, they did a great job of getting me post touches early on and then outside of that, just making sure I rebound and finish my put-backs.”
Clark was restricted to seven first-half points, going 1-for-5 from outside the arc. The one triple she did hit over her 6-foot-5 defender looked incredible. However, Clark was colder than usual on Sunday. Clark fumbled the ball over late in the third quarter, missed her catch-and-shoot 31-footer, then came up very short on her 28-foot step-back.
“No, I don’t think I was overeager,” Clark remarked. “I’ll just take shots that I think are good…” If they went in, the story would probably be different. You’d probably have asked me a different question. “But I think as a shooter and someone who needs to score, and something that this team needs, is like, I can’t stop…you got to just keep playing through it.”
Clark missed four three-pointers and assisted three times in the third quarter. In the fourth, she shot 1-for-2 from beyond the arc and contributed two assists. As the Fever trailed by seven points at the start of the fourth quarter, head coach Christie Sides called the first play for Clark. She hit the triple.
Fever is rising as the Olympic break approaches.
Aside from the blunders in the heartbreaking home defeat to the Washington Mystics on July 10, the Fever had won three of their last four games, all against teams in the top half of the WNBA. The Lynx are now fourth at 16-8. Sure, the Lynx were without Olympian Napheesa Collier, and the Fever defeated the injury-plagued Mercury, but wins are wins. They only had thirteen of them last year.
With the win, the Fever improved to 11-14 on the season and will close out July by visiting the last-place Dallas Wings on Wednesday. It’s an excellent opportunity to avenge the defeat to the Mystics, enter the Olympic Break on a three-game winning streak, and remain in playoff contention.
