The Indiana Fever faced the Chicago Sky on Saturday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Despite missing Caitlin Clark for the 10th straight game, the Fever registered a blowout win against the visitors, outscoring them 92-70. Dawn Staley, sitting on the CBS Sports panel, made some interesting observations during the matchup.
Dawn Staley on Aliyah Boston
Aliyah Boston, in her two years with the Fever, has become one of their key players. She typically switches between the power forward and center positions. However, in the absence of a great facilitator like Clark, Boston has shown that she can do much more.
Staley praised Boston for her dynamic style of play. She said:
“She is a utility player. She is someone that will give the team what they need at any given moment. They don’t have a point guard. She is comfortable with being the person that facilitates for her team.”
Staley also sees a very capable leader in Boston. She said that the 23-year-old communicates well and puts her teammates in positions where they can capitalize on any opportunity.
“Get her the ball when she’s down low,” Staley said. “Let her be a bucket.”
“Let her be a bucket.”
Coach @dawnstaley says Aliyah Boston is a utility player, giving the Fever what they need at any given moment. pic.twitter.com/oJr2j5sexS
— We Need To Talk (@WeNeedToTalk) August 9, 2025
Staley praised Boston’s off-ball movement as well. She also stated that she hopes that her teammates would do the facilitating sometimes as well because Boston is a very capable scorer.
Dawn Staley’s Halftime Analysis of the Indiana-Chicago Matchup
The game started with the Indiana Fever’s dominance. They outscored the Sky 25-16 in the first quarter. At the end of the first half, they had an 11-point lead, and it looked like everything was going as per their plan.
Their offense was on a roll, their defense wasn’t giving the Sky any space, and they had a comfortable lead. So, when Staley was asked at halftime what she expected from the two teams in the second half, she said:
“For the Sky, offensively, gotta play through the bigs. Gotta do what you do best. If you put the ball on the floor, put the ball on the floor. Shoot threes, shoot threes. If you wanna score in the paint, score in the paint.”
She expected the Sky to cause some disruption on the defensive end. As per Staley, every player on the Fever roster was playing their natural game without any problems. She outlined how the Fever’s offense was dictating the game at will.
“Sophie is hitting threes,” Staley said. “Aliyah is back to the basket. And Kelsey Mitchell is doing it all like the MVP candidate.”
.@dawnstaley and @ReneeMontgomery on what they want to see in the second half of @chicagosky vs @IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/GDS6KsrwOP
— CBS Sports WNBA (@CBSSportsWNBA) August 10, 2025
Co-host Renee Montgomery agreed with Staley’s analysis and gave props to the Fever for executing their plans well.
Dawn Staley’s Blunt Response on Fever’s Gameplay in the Second Half
The Fever’s starting five did a lot of heavy lifting, scoring all but 11 points of their total tally of 92. That’s nearly 88% of the total points. Boston, Lexie Hull, Natasha Howard, Mitchell, and Sophie Cunningham scored 15, 17, 7, 26, and 16 points, respectively.
Their gameplay was so lethal that when asked about what the Fever should do in the second half, Staley said:
“Don’t change a thing. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Only two Sky players scored in double digits, Rachel Banham being the top scorer with 11 points. She was the only starter in double digits. Maddy Westbeld, with 10 points, was the only other effective offensive player on the floor.
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