It’s hard to overstate the impact Aliyah Boston has had since arriving in the WNBA. Drafted first overall by the Indiana Fever in 2023 after a stellar college career with South Carolina, Boston immediately transformed the team’s dynamics—and the league’s perception of what a dominant post player can do. Averaging 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a rookie, she earned both a trip to the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game and the 2023 Rookie of the Year Award, an unprecedented feat for a newcomer.
But what has followed has been nothing short of meteoric. Fast-forward to the 2025 season: Boston now averages a career-high 15 points per game, anchoring a Fever team that surged to the WNBA Semifinals. Though Indiana ultimately fell in a five-game thriller to the Las Vegas Aces, Boston’s three-time All-Star status has cemented her reputation as one of the league’s most fearsome post presences.
Yet Boston’s dominance has sparked more than just admiration. Off the stat sheet, whispers about her playing style have circulated throughout the league. Known for her physicality, hard-nosed approach, and relentless competitiveness, Boston has become a player some peers seemingly approach with caution. Fans and insiders alike have speculated—sometimes quietly, sometimes openly—about whether her aggressiveness crosses lines, sparking tension on and off the court.
Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson, who joined the team last offseason after years with the Aces, shed some light on these simmering dynamics during her October 29 appearance on the Boston and Candace Parker Post Moves podcast.
“AB, as you know, people feel a way about AB in the league,” Colson said, hinting at the complicated reputation Boston carries. “And without me playing on a team with her, and getting to know her, her faith, the kind of person that she is… I’m the kind of person that I experience people for myself. I don’t just listen to what other people say.”
Colson paused, letting the implications hang in the air. “I’ll have stuff in mind, of course. I think it would be silly to not keep in mind what you’ve heard. But I have to experience what I have to experience.”
Though Colson stopped short of naming names or specifying the nature of the tension, longtime followers of the league can read between the lines. Boston’s combination of skill, size, and uncompromising style has made her a lightning rod—a player both feared and scrutinized, admired and quietly resented in equal measure.
Images from the 2025 playoffs tell part of the story: on September 28, Boston battled A’ja Wilson in a tense Game 4 matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Fever ultimately lost, but Boston’s presence was impossible to ignore, her every move watched closely by teammates and rivals alike.
Colson’s comments offer a rare glimpse into the human side of the story. They remind fans that Boston, despite her intimidating on-court persona, is a young woman navigating both superstardom and the sometimes harsh social dynamics of professional sports. The subtext is clear: the narrative around Boston is often more complicated than the whispers and rumors suggest.
For Indiana Fever fans, Boston is nothing short of a phenomenon—a player who delivers excellence night after night, a cornerstone for the team’s future. For the rest of the league, she is a puzzle: a player whose talent commands respect, whose style commands attention, and whose reputation invites speculation.
As the WNBA looks toward the 2026 season, one thing is certain: Aliyah Boston’s story is far from over. Every rebound, block, and post-up brings her closer to redefining what it means to be an elite center in women’s basketball—and closer to uncovering the truth behind the whispers…
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