Heading into the 2025 WNBA offseason, the Indiana Fever had three main priorities.
The first was to re-sign Kelsey Mitchell. The 29-year-old had a career year in 2024, averaging 19.2 points per contest and played extremely well with Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. The Fever wanted Mitchell back, and got the job done with a league supermax deal.
The second priority was to address the weaknesses on the wing. Lexie Hull, a true guard, would find herself on the wing due to the lack of true small forwards. Indiana responded by adding DeWanna Bonner, one of the league's premier all-around wings. The team also traded for Sophie Cunningham, a listed-guard whose 6-foot-1 frame allows her to guard forwards as well.
The final problem lied in the frontcourt after forward Temi Fagbenle packed her bags for Golden State by way of the WNBA Expansion Draft. Aliyah Boston and Damiris Dantas were the only true bigs returning, which prompted the Fever to sign Natasha Howard and Brianna Turner to round out the roster.
The Fever didn't just have a successful free agency-- they hit a home run on all fronts. But as great as these new additions are, one player may find herself in a tough spot in 2025.
Aliyah Boston may lose minutes
Boston has been the anchor defensively for the Fever since she was drafted in 2023. Now that she has the help from Howard and Turner down low, a very serious conversation must now take place regarding the frontcourt rotation.
But Unrivaled has opened eyes about Boston's production, or lack thereof. The South Carolina product has struggled, averaging just 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.
Some of this has to do with her Vinyl teammates, as Dearica Hamby eats up most of the frontcourt minutes in the 3-on-3 format. Some of it has to do with inefficiency, as she has shot just 40% with a vast majority of her shots coming from the paint.
As of this moment, the center position is Boston's to lose. At her best, she's a double-double machine, racking up 16 of them in the Fever's 42 regular season and playoff games. Now entering her third season, Boston is expected to benefit tremendously from the new-look offense.
But her performance isn't the only factor-- the performances of her new frontcourt teammates also play a role.
Howard is more of a power forward, but the 6-foot-2 former Seminole has the size and ability to play the five. Turner is a rim-protector, a defensive anchor that should be used heavily off the bench against teams who attack the basket. Then there's Dantas, who is killing it this offseason in Turkey.
There will always be room for Boston in the lineup. But it feels like she may be the most affected returner on an Indiana Fever team looking to make a run.