As Aliyah Boston is preparing for her debut in Unrivaled, the new 3v3 league of women’s basketball, the Indiana Fever forward has opened up about her training for the upcoming WNBA season, especially with the franchise’s new staff.
In a new interview with IndyStar, Boston shared that she has already worked with new player development coach Keith Porter, who will now work under new head coach Stephanie White. Porter traveled to Massachusetts, where Boston was training, in December to work with her before she reported to Unrivaled.
Boston said that they were developing new aspects of her game. “Just continuing to be quick but also poised in the mid-post, especially just being confident taking my shots,” Boston told the outlet.
She added, “I think it was super dope that Keith came out to Mass to work out with me, and we just continue to work on that and obviously expanding my game, just being able to attack from different angles.”
Aliyah Boston of Indiana Fever (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Boston thinks 3v3 basketball will help her with her defense
Last season, Boston, who was named 2023 WNBA Rookie of the year, averaged 14 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. However, according to her, her experience in Unrivaled will help her improve her defense. Especially as, unlike the FIBA rules, Unrivaled will be played in a “compressed full court,” of dimensions of 70 feet by 50 feet.
see also
Game-changing milestones: The WNBA’s most unbreakable records
“I think there’s just a lot of space on the floor, so as individuals, it’s making sure we’re guarding our own, because it’s going to be hard,” Boston told IndyStar. “You can’t really pack the paint, because everyone has the capability of shooting the 3 and shooting it well, so it’s just making sure you’re able to guard your own. We want to play fast, and I feel like that’s how we play in the league anyways. It’s a pretty fast-paced game, so we’re just going to keep doing that.”
In Unrivaled, Boston joins Dearica Hamby, Jordin Canada, Rhyne Howard, Rae Burrell and Arike Ogunbowale as part of Vinyl Basketball Club. Her Fever teammate Lexi Hull will play for Rose Basketball Club, alongside Angel Reese.
Unrivaled is set to debut on January 17th. This innovative 10-week league will be headquartered in Miami, offering top-tier women’s basketball players a lucrative domestic alternative to playing overseas during the off-season.
