It takes two to make a thing go right — just ask the Fever.
The WNBA club is off to a rocky start again this campaign. Sitting at 8-12, Indiana is in the bottom half of the league standings, yet there is plenty to be hopeful about when it comes to the organization.
That's because of the emergence of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Clark, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, and Boston, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, are slowly but surely building a repertoire on the court. The standout from Iowa and the star from South Carolina each come with different skill sets. Clark is a sharpshooter from long range who also can dish the rock as well as anyone. Meanwhile, Boston is someone who dominates in the paint as a defender and can create offense in the post.
In order for the Fever to succeed, it's imperative that the two gel together. As the WNBA campaign reaches the halfway point, it's become clear that Clark and Boston are hitting a groove both on and off the court.
Here is more about the relationship between the two Fever stars.
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Caitlin Clark-Aliyah Boston relationship, explained
Boston's impact on Clark was evident from the get-go.
The Fever rookie hardly had any time to decompress from her collegiate season. A week after falling in the NCAA Championship with her Iowa squad against South Carolina, Clark heard her name called first overall at the 2024 WNBA Draft. A month later, she was competing in her first WNBA game.
While she may only be in her second year at the pro level, Boston immediately took Clark under her wing. When the first-year guard struggled in her WNBA debut, it was Boston by Clark's side at halftime, encouraging her and trying to lift her up despite her frustrations.
The bond between the two has only grown since then. Clark credits Boston for her leadership both on and off the court, and says that she had been a key piece in helping her transition from the college level to the pros.
"Yeah, I think the biggest thing about Aliyah, coming in here, I think her leadership has been amazing," Clark said to Sirius XM's Nick Hamilton . "She's been one of the biggest voices in our locker room. She's been somebody that's been there to pick me up, I've been there to pick her up."
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The support system put in place is needed. The reason the Fever were in a position to draft first overall for two years in a row is due to the team's poor record. While Boston and Clark are vital pieces going forward, there is still much learning to do before the Fever elevate themselves to a contender status.
So far in 2024, Indiana owns a record of 8-12, sitting eighth out of the 12 teams.
"We're navigating this together," Clark said earlier in the season. "It's hard, a post and a point guard trying to get that connection, that chemistry within 20 days and five games. Everybody's just expecting so much. I think it's just a learning process and that will only continue to get better."
Despite the ups and downs, the two have remained determined not to let each other get too down. That also applies to the media coverage around the team, which is amplified by Clark's presence.
Two examples of the two lifting each other have come during media scrums. After an 88-81 win over the Mystics on June 19, Clark was pressed about her team-high six turnovers. Boston stepped in to defend the rookie, brushing off the question and telling Clark "don't worry."
"You look at Caitlin, and you look at the way she passes the ball, so sometimes things are going to happen that way, and that's OK because we're not going to let her hang her head," Boston said about Clark after she was questioned about turnovers. "We're not going to hang our heads off of any missed passes because we are still continuing to gel together and we know that she's a great passer.
"So if she thinks she can get that ball there, she's gonna throw it. If I miss it, we're good. We're alright."
Just a few days ago, after an 89-77 loss to the Storm, the two were at the postgame press conference together, but you couldn't tell by watching. All of the questions were directed at Clark, as the reporters failed to give any sort of interest in Boston. Clark encouraged those in attendance to also include Boston in the questioning, leading to a few inquiries directed towards the second-year forward.
It's evident that the two have already built a close relationship. That chemistry is beginning to flourish on the court, as Clark and Boston are two of Indiana's top-three point scorers on the season. Clark's 16.2 points per game narrowly trail Kelsey Mitchell for the team lead, and Boston's 13.1 points are good for third. In addition, Clark leads the Fever in assists with 6.9 per game, while Boston is paving the way in the paint with 8.3 rebounds per game.
It isn't going to be easy, but if the Fever are going to emerge out of this rebuild as true threats to win a WNBA championship, it is going to come on the backs of their two young phenoms.
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