In the 2025 playoffs, Aliyah Boston received huge praise for her defense on A’ja Wilson. Though the side lost in a five-game series, she earned her first-ever all-defensive team honor. The star missed an opportunity to test herself against the best forward line-up – Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, and Kahleah Copper, in the finals.
Incidentally, two of those stars are playing in the Unrivaled league, and AB will get her hands on AT in a one-on-one tournament. And beating Thomas could be a massive boost for the young forward, making her an elite star.
Opportunity For Aliyah Boston To Take Place In the Elite Forwards
Unrivaled’s innovative competitions and tournaments are forcing players to get out of their comfort zone and play different tactics on the court. The Fever forward is also looking to improve in one area to help her play a bigger role on the Fever team.
As for the ongoing Unrivaled Season, one-on-one competition is a type of competition in which the player has no help and relies solely on individual skills to win the series. Ranked fourth in Pod D, Boston will be up against one of the best two-way players in the league – Alyssa Thomas.
THE BRACKET IS IN 👀 1on1 Tournament presented by @Sprite starts Wednesday 2/11 on truTV and TRUST US we cannot wait 🍿🎥 So for the time being… make sure you head over to our website and fill out your bracket ➡️
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) February 7, 2026
Who do think will be CROWNED THE ONE? 👀 pic.twitter.com/2y3nEeseBa
While AT ranked fifth in the voting of players and journalists in the competition, she was an MVP finalist and a WNBA finalist last season, and led the league in many stats over her career. Beating a player of her ability and experience would be encouraging for the Fever rookie, who could then find her place among the elite forwards in the league.
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Even though the tournament offers players the opportunity to play in competitive games in the shortest format, AB already has a winner in mind.
Aliyah Boston Sees Kelsey Mitchell As Toughest One-On-One Player
The 2023 rookie heaped praise on Mitchell in a December 3 ‘Post Moves’ podcast episode. Following her career-best season, she led the team to the semifinals in 2025. Lauding her ability to take on players, the forward called her undefendable.
Talking about KM’s ability, Boston said, “Kelsey, it’s like, you literally can’t [stay in front of her]… And she’s waiting for you to just go for something, and she’s gone. Like, Kelsey is going to cook. That speed, that speed is going to take off.”
While the forward is still on a rookie contract with the Fever team, Mitchell is one of the top free agents for the upcoming season. The Fever front office and players are looking to get her back in the lineup for the upcoming season.