The Indiana Fever have been one of the most exciting teams in the WNBA this season, thanks in large part to their young three-headed monster comprised of NaLyssa Smith, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.
Smith, a 6-foot-4 forward, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft. She has quickly become one of the league’s best scorers, averaging 15 points per game. She is also a versatile rebounder and defender, and she has demonstrated that she has the potential to be a dominant force in the WNBA for years to come.
Last season, Smith started in 32 games, averaging 13.5 points and eight rebounds while shooting 42% from the field. Smith also made the AP All-Rookie Team in her inaugural season.
Moreover, Smith supercharged her numbers during the 2023 WNBA season. Despite dealing with a stress fracture in her left foot throughout the season, Smith currently ranks third in rebounds with 9.6 boards per contest.
After an 83-73 victory against the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 20, Smith noted the impact of her 25 and eleven double-double performance.
“Talking to my family, talking to my coaches, I realized how powerful inside I can be,” Smith said.
Boston, a 6-foot-5 forward, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. She is a physical force in the paint and has already shown the ability to dominate on both ends of the floor. She is averaging 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and she is a defensive anchor with a high upside.
Similar to her teammate, Boston ranks in the top ten for rebounds this season, coming in ninth.
Since entering the league less than six months ago, Boston secured two Player of the Month Awards and a WNBA All-Star selection. Many fans and analysts believe that Aliyah Boston is a shoe-in for the 2023 Rookie of the Year Award.
Mitchell, a 5-foot-9 guard, is the veteran of the tandem. She is the Fever’s leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. She is also a masterful playmaker, but is often utilized as a shooting guard. When she is not dialing in from the perimeter, Mitchell can dish the dimes. The veteran all-star guard notched a season-high eight assists against the Chicago Sky on July 2. Mitchell received her first WNBA All-Star selection this season.
Off the court, Mitchell has been an exceptional leader, netting her the 2023 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award. the award is given to
After the stellar game against the Mercury on Aug. 20, Mitchell hinted at shifting the culture of the franchise in a positive direction.
“We’re trying to shift our culture constantly, every day,” Mitchell said. “We know it is a constant grind, and it is a constantly changing narrative of who we are.”
Moreover, Smith, Boston and Mitchell form one of the most exciting trios in the WNBA. The three-headed monster are slowly becoming an exciting trinity for Indiana Fever fans and fans of Indiana basketball. Their performances this season show that they may have the potential to lead the Indiana Fever back to contention.
Currently, the Indiana Fever places sixth in the Eastern Conference and last in the WNBA overall standings.
At this point in the 2023 WNBA season, it is mathematically impossible for the Indiana Fever to make the postseason. However, their ranking could lead the organization to secure another NCAA phenom such as Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark in the 2024 WNBA Draft, if they are willing to declare, that is.
The Fever’s “Big Three”, “Holy Trinity”, “three-headed monster”, or whatever you fancy referring to the tandem as, have been a major reason for the team’s glimpses of success this season. Smith, Boston and Mitchell have all been playing at a high level, and they have helped Indiana put the league on notice.
Contact multi-media staff writer Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @NoralParham. For more Indiana Fever news, click here.
