Indiana Fever stars Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull didn't find themselves on the same team while competing in the first-ever 3x3 Unrivaled championship Monday night. Hull's Rose team defeated the Vinyl 62-54. Fever fans who tuned in likely made two strong observations leaving them to be optimistic and somewhat concerned being only a couple months out from the start of the WNBA season.
Lexie Hull's production declines throughout Unrivaled season
One concern that Fever fans should have going into the season is Lexie Hull's decrease in shooting production. Hull played in just four scoreless minutes in the championship round. This came after she finished 0-of-5 in the semi-final game against the Laces. Hull averaged just over six points a game in each of the 14 match-ups.
She was one of the Fever's best shooters after the Olympic break last season helping them to their first playoff appearance since 2016, even leading the entire WNBA in 3-point shooting at 47 percent. One big question going into the new season will be if Hull can keep up with these second-half stats.
The Fever were aggressive in free agency this offseason which will keep fans on the edge of their seats regarding new head coach Stephanie White's choice of lineup rotation.
Aliyah Boston shows new look aggressiveness in Unrivaled
Aliyah Boston showed Fever fans exactly what the team needs to be serious title contenders this season after putting on a strong championship performance. Despite her team losing the game, she finished with ten points and four rebounds. Fans may have noticed that Boston added an assertiveness to her game that sometimes lacked last season.
She is known as one of the best post players in basketball. In fact, this is what led her to averaging almost nine rebounds a game and extending plays offensively.
Boston, the 2023 No.1 overall pick, is expected to have a major impact for the Fever, especially after having played with Caitlin Clark for an entire season and building chemistry with new teammates.
Playing in Unrivaled helps players build their confidence during the league's downtime. One area of focus for Boston is to correct a history of slow starts and have an immediate impact. Despite finishing third on the team in points per game, there's room for improvement. Playing aggressively will allow her to get more scoring chances.
Both Boston and Hull will have a couple months to recoup before joining their Fever teammates for training camp next month.