Injury problems have haunted the Indiana Fever all summer long. Season-ending injuries to Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, and Aari McDonald mean the Fever are currently playing with only six players who started the season with the squad.
Despite their struggles, Indiana sits sixth in the standings, and Aliyah Boston has played a significant role in steadying the ship. Boston’s strong performances have earned her a third straight All-Star game appearance, as the 2023 No. 1 pick continues to solidify her status as a star center in the league.
While Boston has been a force throughout her basketball career, the summer of 2021 was one in which the USC alum elevated her performance. Something NBA Hall of Famer Tim Duncan deserves a bit of credit for.
How Did Aliyah Boston’s Training With Tim Duncan Transform Her?
Dawn Staley was the latest guest on the “Post Moves” podcast. She discussed Boston’s growth as a player at the University of South Carolina and pointed to the 2021 Final Four loss, which sparked something within Boston and eventually motivated her to train with Duncan.
“She is so devastated. She probably beat herself up the whole summer. But before it got to the summer, I’m just like, basketball’s been too good to you. That is just a blip on the radar. And if you stay in this space, you’re not setting yourself up for the come-up. And then what does she do? She went and trained with Tim Duncan,” shared Staley.
In the 2021 NCAA Final Four, Boston and the Gamecocks suffered a devastating one-point loss (66-65) to a Stanford team featuring now-Fever teammate Lexie Hull. In the game’s final moments, Boston had a chance to win with a tip-in shot at the buzzer, but failed to do so. She was visibly emotional and sank to her knees after the loss.
South Carolina was THIS CLOSE ‼️#WFinalFour pic.twitter.com/UHjaxkEKyl
— ESPN (@espn) April 3, 2021
The loss motivated Boston to get in better shape over the summer of 2021 while also training with Duncan. Boston and Duncan share a Virgin Islands connection. While the Fever center belongs to St. Thomas, Duncan hails from St. Croix. Boston sought out and trained with Duncan to hone her basketball skills.
Boston has stated that as a Virgin Islander, Duncan was a player she looked up to and that getting to work out with him was “amazing.” In the following season, Boston showed up having shed 23 pounds off her weight and in the best shape of her life. Not only had she trained with “The Big Fundamental,” she had also kept track of her dietary habits to improve performance.
The hard work paid off for Boston and Coach Staley when they lifted the 2022 NCAA Title, with Boston being awarded the Most Outstanding Player. Staley called the 2021 loss a crucial crossroads in the center’s career and believes Boston took the right path forward.
