On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Talia Goodman sits down with Pat Boylan, the play-by-play voice of the Fever, to discuss the team’s recent progress. The two discuss the various ways in which the Indiana team is trending upwards right now. They also elaborate on the promising connection between Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. They round things out by making some predictions for where the Fever may go next.
Goodman opens the show by stating the big accomplishment – the Fever are on a five-game win streak for the first time since 2015. So, what’s going so right? “I’d honestly start with the schedule,” Boylan says. “It’s still the biggest factor at play here … there was a bit of cognitive dissonance between people understanding that the schedule was tough, but going ‘why do the Fever have this record?'” As Boylan dives into the details of the Fever’s tough opening schedule, he reminds listeners that “they were never going to come out guns-a-blazing.” But, as Boylan says, “if your schedule is really tough at the beginning, it’s going to balance out.” And the Fever are now benefiting from that balance.
Later, Goodman and Boylan discuss the emerging partnership between Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. “If you think about why Aliyah had so much success in her rookie year … she was the focal point of the offense,” Boylan says. And now, “Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark are that core duo that are so important to, ultimately, the ceiling that this franchise can unlock.” Furthermore, “Aliyah’s skill set is very important to Caitlin,” Boylan adds. “She’s a very good screen-setter, she’s nimble on her feet … she’s coming all the way up to the three-point line to help screen for Clark.”
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