The Indiana Fever’s title aspirations could be threatened by a problem one insider has already spotted, and it’s tied directly to Aliyah Boston.
The buzz is back in Indiana. The Fever have retained all of their core stars from last year and added much-needed defensive coverage on draft night, picking Raven Johnson as the 10th pick. Monique Billings’ arrival will boost the franchise’s frontcourt. However, Tony East has pointed out the lack of shooting ability within the frontcourt options, which could become a pressing issue for head coach Stephanie White.
Speaking on Indiana’s offseason moves and draft picks on his YouTube Channel, Tony East analyzed the frontcourt and the shooting prowess available there.
Tony opined, “The frontcourt concern is they do not have a lot of spacing in that group and players that you think of as shooters. They are good players, but are they going to get enough shooting from, I mean, Boston doesn’t take that many threes, but she’s made some before. Dantas is up and down in her career. Billings is expanding that into her game clearly and has other strengths… But Hines-Allen is not a great shooter. Are they going to get enough from them?”
The entire league, except the Atlanta Dream, is going small this year, preferring athleticism and shooting ability in the frontcourt. This is an attempt to add options that allow teams to stretch opponents’ defensive coverage during possessions, with the frontcourt stars no longer a threat only around the paint.
The Indiana Fever have, in Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull, and second-round draft pick Justine Pissot, guards who can add value even in a frontcourt role. Billings is working on her jumpers, and can come good this year from range. And while Aliyah Boston shot just over 20% from the three-point line last year, the 24-year-old is aware she needs to improve her perimeter shooting.
Boston made one of every three three-point attempts in Unrivaled, and while the 3-on-3 format might allow for more open shots, the 24-year-old has admitted to focusing on improving her jumpers during the offseason.
Stephanie White and her players seem awfully aware of the potential problem, with Aliyah Boston already taking measures to improve upon it during the offseason. But the front office is committed to going small this season and has made another quality addition that aligns with their strategy.
The Fever add winning pedigree in veteran guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
While the frontcourt shooting problems have the potential of becoming a hindrance during the season, Stephanie White & Co. are going all guns blazing towards their new strategy. The Fever have added 2017 first-round pick Shatori Walker-Kimbrough to their roster.
“Shatori is a versatile guard who adds depth to our backcourt rotation,” said Fever COO and General Manager Amber Cox. “She’s a proven veteran in our league who brings a championship mindset and experience, both on and off the court.”
The details of the deal are undisclosed. But the veteran brings in experience and a winning pedigree to the locker room, having won the WNBA Championship with the Washington Mystics in 2019. Not only that, the 30-year-old has made it to the playoffs seven times in a career spanning nine seasons.
Walker-Kimbrough will be part of a congested guard rotation. But she has a proven track record of providing quality in a limited role, having done so at Atlanta last year.
Walker-Kimbrough will also add another potent three-point weapon in Indiana’s arsenal, having historically shot 35% from behind the arc. And while the 30-year-old has averaged under 6 points per game in the WNBA so far, she can step up when needed, as evidenced by her college basketball career. Walker-Kimbrough left the Maryland Terrapins as their fourth-highest all-time scorer, with 2,156 points over 4 years.
Stephanie White is going big on the smalls this year, and it will be interesting to see what the official Indiana 12 looks like once the training camp gets over.
