Aliyah Boston's kryptonite becomes clear in first game without Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Fever's first test of a team without Caitlin Clark on the floor ended in an 83-77 loss in Baltimore Wednesday night, a disappointing (but not insurmountable) reality for fans and players alike. Clark's absence was obvious in several ways, and perhaps most of all in the way it changed nearly everything Aliyah Boston does on the floor.

It's abundantly clear that Boston needs stronger perimeter shooting to succeed; she needs someone who can feed her on the inside, and Fever fans have been spoiled by the relationship she and Clark began to build last season. A Clark-free Fever means Boston is on the court without someone who can clearly run the floor; without a true general, the Fever ended up playing a lot of hero basketball.

How the Fever can maximize Aliyah Boston during Caitlin Clark's absence

There is one major hurdle the Fever have to clear before the team hosts the Connecticut Sun at home at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Friday: getting Boston the ball. Boston, who didn't see the ball very often Wednesday night, gets a lot of her touches as part of the two-woman game she's established with Clark, something Coach White spoke to during the postgame press conference.

White acknowledged Clark's absence had a lot to do with how Boston was able to perform Wednesday night. "It looks different now without Caitlin on the floor," she told reporters. The team will have to regroup and make it "a point of contention" to get Boston the touches she needs to put up numbers for the Fever.

White also pointed out the Mystics were able to engage Boston defensively constantly, often switching up who was guarding her — and then forcing her into defensive positions while on the other end of the court. "We've got to be better as coaches [while] trying to get her in positions to be successful," she concluded.

The Mystics' defense was strong against Boston throughout the game, something that teammate Sophie Cunningham also noted, but that alone isn't a good explanation for went wrong. The Fever will need to make a point of looking for Boston on both ends of the court, something that Clark has become an expert in, if they want to set her up effectively in their coming games.

The Fever are in a tough — but not insurmountable — position

There's a path forward for the Fever without Clark, but it will take persistence, creativity, and a lot of communication to get there. Playing without a true point guard is a blow for a team that has built its identity around one, and that's something they'll have to reconcile before meeting the Sun at home this week.