With 7.4 seconds remaining and the Indiana Fever’s playoff run hanging in the balance, Aliyah Boston sneaked past the Atlanta Dream’s defense and drained an unguarded layup to give her team a game-winning lead at Gateway Center Arena Thursday night.
Down 84-85, the St. Thomas native secured the rebound from a missed Dream three-pointer and sent it up the court. After a deflected pass attempt, Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell (#0) downed two Dream defenders and found Boston (#7) wide-open under the goal with a single hand raised. A successful pass positioned Boston to make the shot that sent the Fever to the semifinals. The dramatic sequence showed Boston’s composure in the clutch – a trait her mother has witnessed countless times.
“Aliyah didn’t quit on the failed play,” Cleone Boston observed from the stands. “She positioned her feet for the layup and just put her hands up. She didn’t even say anything.”
At halftime, with the game in the balance, Cleone Boston sent her daughter a message of faith: “Just keep trusting. You’ve got this, and God’s got you. You are already victorious.” The approach reflects the family’s perspective on their postseason journey. “This is a God story,” she explained.
Throughout the pressure-packed moments, Boston’s mother watched her daughter maintain the composure that has defined her career. “Aliyah remains very calm in tight situations,” she observed. “When I saw things getting tough, I just prayed: ‘Lord, remind her that You’ve equipped her. You’ve prepared her for whatever comes. Give her peace.’”
Despite the spotlight on her daughter’s clutch performance, Cleone Boston emphasized the team concept. “It was a team effort. Every point that everyone scored was needed.”
When the game’s defining sequence unfolded with seconds remaining, the crowd erupted. Four quarters of tension had finally reached an uncontainable end. “The atmosphere was great!” Boston beamed. “Atlanta had great basketball fans, but our Fever fans traveled well!”
The Boston family’s animated support drew attention from the home crowd. “We were so into the game, an Atlanta fan turned around and asked, ‘Is Boston yours?'” Cleone Boston recalled. “When they shouted, we shouted. When they booed, we cheered even louder,” she laughed. “The atmosphere was hype. It was loud. The tension was high. Even though we were separated, you could hear all the Indiana fans.”
Boston’s father, Algernon Boston’s, reaction captured the family’s elation: “I’m really happy for Aliyah. I’m really happy for this team. I’m just really happy.”
The Fever’s journey hasn’t been without heartbreak. “Aliyah was in tears watching her team fall apart, injury after injury,” Cleone observed of the season’s challenges.
But in this moment, there was only celebration. With 7.4 seconds and one clutch shot, Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever secured the lead necessary to secure an 87-85 victory over the Dream and advance to the semifinals, where they will compete in a best-of-five series against the Las Vegas Aces.
Boston looks forward to the upcoming series with her usual composure. “Thank God that we got the game on the road, and now on to the next.”
