Having one of your star players go off on any given night is sweet. Having two is even better.
A mid-September matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream in Indianapolis was the game of the number one pick. All three number one picks from the most recent drafts, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark all shared the court. All three of them showed out in a big way.
Let's start with the visitor, Rhyne Howard. The 2022 WNBA first overall pick was electric, going 13-for-28 from the field to drop a game-high 36 points. Howard also grabbed four rebounds and racked up five assists.
Had it not been for Boston and Clark, Howard might have single-handedly secured the win for Atlanta.
Aliyah Boston was on fire. She could do no wrong, especially down low in the post. Boston converted on 11-of-16 shots, as well as a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. With a game-high 13 rebounds, she recorded not only a career-high 30 points, but also her first 30-point double-double.
Clark was just as effective. She also went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, and while she wasn't as efficient from the field she did distribute well. Clark finished with 26 points and 12 assists, giving the Fever two starters with a recorded double-double on the night.
Fast forward to the fourth quarter, 90-88 Atlanta lead. With 30 seconds left, the ball was inbounded to Clark. She passed up a three-pointer and instead found Boston in the high post. Clark ran past, Boston faked the flip and spun to the rack. She would put in the layup and tie the game, and that would prove enough to send the game to overtime.
The trio of young stars would continue dueling in the overtime period. Everything ran through Howard offensively, but signs of fatigue started to show as she missed both free throws early on. Clark and Boston continued to pick apart the Atlanta defense, an effective one-two punch.
With 1:12 left in another tie game situation, Indiana head coach Christie Sides once again called Boston's number. After enduring some tough defense from Atlanta's Lorela Cubaj, Boston spun to her left and hit the jump hook that would put Indiana ahead. After playing the foul game, Indiana would hold on to win 104-100.
This performance had big time playoff seed implications for Indiana, and the dynamic duo of Boston and Clark came through in one of the biggest moments in the season.