Phantom BC suffered a major loss just as the Unrivaled playoffs are heating up. Aliyah Boston has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a right lower-extremity injury she suffered in Friday’s 72-68 win over Rose BC. Boston scored five points and grabbed five rebounds in 12.5 minutes before leaving the game.
Phantom BC will be without its second-leading scorer for the semifinals Monday, and if the team advances, the championship is Wednesday. Little is known about the severity of Boston’s injury, and the 24-year-old forward will have a short turnaround for the start of USA Basketball training on Friday.
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Boston’s loss will be a tough one to swallow for the 11-3 Phantom. She was named Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 18.9 points, a league-leading 2.1 blocks, and 9.7 rebounds, which ranked fourth in the league.
Boston, a former No. 1 WNBA Draft pick and Rookie of the Year, averaged a career-high 15 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season with the Indiana Fever. She helped lead the team on a surprising run to the 2025 semifinals alongside Kelsey Mitchell, with Caitlin Clark missing most of the season due to injury. Boston has never averaged under 14 points and 8 rebounds, and has never missed a game in her three WNBA seasons.
With Phantom guard Dana Evans also ruled out for the rest of the season with lower-extremity injuries, the team has added Aziaha James and forward Makayla Timpson for the rest of the playoffs. The Phantom’s leading scorer and playmaker, Kelsey Plum, will have to continue to carry the shot-creation load if the team wants to continue its seven-game winning streak.
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Coming off a bye, the No. 1 seed Phantom face the No. 6 Vinyl in the league semifinals Monday at Barclays Center in New York. The Phantom have won both matchups against the 5-6 Vinyl this season. The No. 2 seed Mist face the No. 5 seed Breeze in the other semifinal matchup.