How much could Raven Johnson’s Unrivaled opportunity change what comes next with the Fever? Quick catch-up before we dig in: Aliyah Boston played the 2026 season with a torn right lateral meniscus before undergoing arthroscopic surgery October 14th. Unrivaled ruled her out of its 2027 season and replaced her with Isabelle Harrison. Her November 3rd rehab photo showed a knee brace; earlier reporting anticipated a return for the 2027 WNBA season, without a firm timeline. This is the Indiana Fever Daily Podcast. Boston’s recovery, those early 2027 rankings, and Clark’s toughest matchup are ahead—but first, let’s get into Johnson’s next step.
Here's Angelo Guinhawa at Yardbarker:
On Wednesday, Unrivaled announced that Johnson has been added to the 3-on-3 league’s player pool, along with Kaila Charles, Brittney Griner, Gabriela Jaquez, Ta’Niya Latson and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. As Unrivaled explained, the athletes in the player pool primarily serve as backups in case a player on one of the regular rosters gets injured. They are assigned to any of the eight participating clubs and can play for multiple teams depending on their assignments.
Raven Johnson getting into Unrivaled’s player pool? I like that offseason move. After 3.1 points a game as a rookie, give her competitive possessions alongside all that individual work. Competitive possessions aren't guaranteed, though. Unrivaled says pool players practice daily and get the performance staff, but game assignments depend on injuries across its eight clubs. The daily work is the sure benefit here. I'll take the daily work. She's already training with Chris Hyppa and Luka Hocevar; Hocevar says she's getting faster and stronger. Now I want those gains showing up when somebody's actually guarding her. And Angelo Guinhawa's Athlon report puts her offensive win shares last on the Fever. That makes offense the obvious development target, even with the defensive promise. A pool spot gives Johnson another place to work on it; she'll still have to earn game minutes.
Here's Grant Afseth at Roundtable:
Boston told Parker early in the episode that she was “much better.” “We had a nice successful surgery on that meniscus repair,” Boston said. “So quite nice. It took me a while. I couldn’t just come back on here. I had to recover. Let me tell you, this is my first surgery ever.”
Boston’s recovery story moves beyond the brace photo: she’s back on Post Moves with Candace Parker, describing a successful surgery and a difficult recovery. Grant Afseth at Roundtable reports the October 14 procedure repaired her right lateral meniscus—the first surgery of her life. The part about struggling just to get up and use the bathroom—that lands. Then you read that Aliyah played 40 games with that knee injury. Forty. I’m impressed by her toughness, but I hate that she had to navigate that. And feeling better doesn’t establish basketball readiness. Unrivaled has ruled Boston out for 2027; Indiana still hasn’t set a return date. That distinction matters before anyone starts penciling her into a rotation. Hearing her joke with Candace about the anesthesia is a welcome little bit of Aliyah being Aliyah. Let her have that without turning a podcast appearance into a countdown to tipoff.
Jack Maloney, writing in CBS Sports:
The Valkyries defied expectations to win their first championship in their second season and became the fastest new franchise to win a title in major North American professional sports history. They did so with one of the best defenses of all time and an incredibly strong culture, and could be even better in 2027.
Golden State wins the title, gets number one in CBS's 2027 rankings, and could still add a max player? I'd like the champions to have a slightly less productive offseason, thanks. Jack Maloney's case is pretty strong: championship defense, only two unrestricted free agents in Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes, and Iliana Rupert returning from maternity leave. That potential max signing is an expectation, though—don't put another scorer on their roster yet. Fine. I'll postpone the complaint until there's a signature. But Atlanta at number two matters, too: except for DeWanna Bonner, every rotation player is under contract through at least 2027. Indiana's chasing teams with some continuity. And after the Boston surgery story we just discussed, I'm putting more weight on Indiana's health than a November ranking. CBS flags major offseason questions for the Fever; Golden State's second-half comeback in Game 7 is a useful reminder of how demanding that championship bar actually is.
EssentiallySports, with Harshita Saxena:
Clark helped the Fever force a deciding Game 3 in their 2026 first-round series, recording 27 points and 15 assists in a 99-89 Game 2 victory. Wilson had opened the matchup with 38 points and 16 rebounds, and she delivered another 36-point performance in the decider to secure a 94-83 win for Las Vegas. Two playoff meetings had produced the same outcome, with Wilson proving particularly difficult for Indiana to contain. Now, Clark has put that challenge into words.
A’ja Wilson as Caitlin Clark’s toughest opponent? Thirty-eight points and sixteen rebounds to open that playoff series, then thirty-six in the decider. Yeah, I can see how she made the shortlist. EssentiallySports’ Harshita Saxena lays out the contrast: Clark had twenty-seven points and fifteen assists in Indiana’s Game 2 win, and Vegas still closed the series in Game 3. That’s a pretty compelling argument for making the Wilson matchup an offseason priority. Fifteen assists and you still go home one game later. That hurts. I want Indiana building toward getting that version of Clark through a series without needing her to solve thirty-six from Wilson at the other end. And spread that responsibility around. Wilson scored thirty-five in the 2025 elimination game with Clark out, then thirty-six in the 2026 decider with her playing. Indiana has a team-level problem to solve against her.
If you’re enjoying the Indiana Fever Daily Podcast, please subscribe or leave us a review wherever you’re listening. Reviews help other Fever fans find the show, and we’re grateful for your support.
Links to every story are waiting in the show notes, so take a look at the ones that caught your attention. Thanks for listening, and we’ll meet you on the next episode. That’s Indiana Fever Daily Podcast for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.