This was their moment to prove it. With rookie phenom Caitlin Clark sidelined, the Indiana Fever’s playoff opener against the Atlanta Dream was a golden opportunity for the team’s other stars to silence the critics and demonstrate that they were more than just a supporting cast. It was a chance for Aaliyah Boston and Natasha Howard, two of the league’s most decorated frontcourt players, to take the reins and dominate. Instead, in a brutal 80-68 loss that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score suggests, they disappeared.
The Fever didn’t just lose a basketball game; they suffered a crisis of identity at the worst possible moment. On a night when they needed their leaders to be giants, they played small, passive, and disjointed basketball. While one of their stars fought valiantly, the others were nowhere to be found, raising serious questions about the team’s fortitude as they now stand on the brink of elimination in the best-of-three series.
The Disappearing Act in the Frontcourt
The entire narrative heading into the game revolved around who would fill the massive void left by Clark. The obvious answer was the duo of Aaliyah Boston, the cornerstone of the franchise, and Natasha Howard, a three-time WNBA champion and two-time All-Star signed to be the team’s third (or fourth) dominant force. They were expected to feast on the interior and carry the offensive load.
What transpired was a complete and utter failure to launch. Natasha Howard, a player who averaged over 17 points per game just last season, was a ghost. She finished the game with a meager five points on 2-of-7 shooting. She lacked aggression, seemed hesitant to demand the ball, and was a total non-factor offensively. For a player of her caliber and experience, it was an inexcusable performance in a game of this magnitude.
Her partner in the frontcourt, Aaliyah Boston, was arguably worse. While her final stat line reads eight points, that number is deeply misleading. Boston had just four points well into the fourth quarter, only managing to score again when the game was effectively out of reach. She shot a dismal 3-of-9 from the field and failed to establish any presence in the paint. The combined effort of the Fever’s supposed star frontcourt, along with Lexi Hull, resulted in a catastrophic 8-of-29 shooting performance. It was an offensive collapse rooted in the failure of its most important players to show up.
A Lone Warrior’s Futile Fight
While Boston and Howard faltered, one player understood the assignment. Kelsey Mitchell came out with the fire and intensity befitting a playoff game, putting the team on her back from the opening tip. For 33 grueling minutes, Mitchell was the Fever’s entire offense. She attacked the rim, hit tough shots, and poured in 27 points on an efficient 9-of-18 shooting.
It was a heroic effort, but a lonely one. Every time Mitchell made a play to cut into the Dream’s lead, her efforts were undone by empty possessions and a lack of support from her teammates. She was fighting a one-woman war against a prepared and aggressive Atlanta defense that knew Indiana had no other reliable scoring threats. Her performance was a display of pure heart and will, but it also painfully highlighted just how lost the rest of the team was without its primary playmaker. One player, no matter how brilliant, cannot win a playoff game by herself. Mitchell’s valiant effort was ultimately wasted.
Questionable Strategy and a Failure to Adapt
Naturally, the spotlight turns to head coach Stephanie White. With Clark out, the game plan should have been simple: run the offense through Boston and Howard relentlessly. Force the issue inside. Get your best players the ball in positions where they can succeed. Yet, that never materialized.
Howard took only seven shots. Boston took only nine. In a game where they should have been the focal point, commanding 12 to 15 shot attempts at a minimum, they were shockingly passive. The offense seemed to drift, with guards like Odyssey Sims taking nearly as many shots as Howard. It appeared as though the team was stuck, unable to pivot from its usual Clark-centric system to a new, post-oriented attack.
Coach White did receive a technical foul late in the game, a move some interpreted as fighting for her team. But by that point, the Fever were down by double digits with just eight minutes left. The gesture felt like too little, too late. The strategic battle was lost in the first three quarters, where a clear and decisive plan to empower the team’s available stars never took shape.
Off-Court Problems and a Bleak Outlook
The on-court disaster was compounded by other troubling signs. The arena, which has been electric during the “Caitlin Clark effect,” had noticeable swaths of empty seats. It was a stark visual reminder of the team’s dependency on its rookie star, not just for wins, but for fan engagement and atmosphere.
Adding to the frustration were league-wide issues that were on full display. The officiating was heavily criticized by fans of both teams, with inconsistent calls creating a choppy and frustrating viewing experience. Furthermore, the WNBA’s notoriously vague approach to injury reporting left many scratching their heads, a recurring problem that undermines the league’s transparency.
Now, down 0-1, the Indiana Fever head into a must-win Game 2 with their backs against the wall. The path forward is clear: Aaliyah Boston and Natasha Howard must re-emerge as the stars they are paid to be. They must play with force, demand the ball, and lead with action, not just reputation. If they don’t, a season that began with so much hope and excitement will come to a swift and deeply disappointing end, not because their best player was injured, but because their other stars failed to shine when the lights were brightest.
