Indiana Fever Star Aliyah Boston's Black Eye Draws Attention Before Mercury Game
The Indiana Fever have dealt with plenty of physical battles this season, and Aliyah Boston is carrying visible evidence of the latest one. Before Monday night's matchup against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, fans quickly noticed that Boston arrived sporting a significant black eye after taking a hit to the face during Indiana's game against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday.
The photo, shared by Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson, immediately made the rounds on social media and reignited discussion about the sequence that led to the injury. While Boston appeared ready to play and showed no signs of letting the injury slow her down, fans couldn't resist weighing in on both the bruise and the officiating surrounding the play. The result was a flood of reactions from Fever supporters and WNBA fans alike just hours before tipoff.
Aliyah Boston sporting a black eye after she was hit in the face in Atlanta on Saturday: pic.twitter.com/DVwQTnM6Vi
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 22, 2026
Fans Sound Off After Seeing Boston's Injury
Peterson posted a photo of Boston before Monday's game and noted that the Fever center was "sporting a black eye after she was hit in the face in Atlanta on Saturday."
The image immediately generated reactions online.
One fan sarcastically referenced the officiating.
"She definitely wasn't hit in the face otherwise the foul would've been called."
Another pointed out that the sequence received extra attention during the game.
"Remember, they did an official replay and stopped the game "
Some fans took an even more humorous approach.
"Did she get called for the foul for hitting them with her face?"
Others were simply surprised by the severity of the bruise.
"Dang. I didn't get to watch the game. That's brutal. She can join the black eye club."
Questions about the officiating continued throughout the comment section.
"I'm certain a foul was not called either."
Another fan added:
"I bet it was 'not' a foul."
The comments show the ongoing debate surrounding the physical nature of Saturday's game and the sequence that left Boston with a noticeable reminder.
Boston Continues To Deliver For Indiana
Black eye or not, Boston has been one of the WNBA's most consistent stars this season.
Entering Monday's contest against Phoenix, the former No. 1 overall pick was averaging 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while anchoring Indiana's frontcourt.
She's also been on an impressive scoring streak, recording at least 13 points in 12 consecutive appearances.
Boston recently delivered one of the best performances of her career against the Chicago Sky, finishing with 34 points and 12 rebounds in Indiana's overtime victory. She followed that performance with an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double against Toronto and nearly added another Saturday against Atlanta, posting 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Fever Looking To Get Back On Track
Indiana entered Monday night's game against the Mercury looking to end a two-game skid after consecutive losses to the Dream.
Despite those setbacks, the Fever remain firmly in the playoff picture and continue to be led by the star duo of Boston and Caitlin Clark.
Boston's black eye may have grabbed attention before tipoff, but her focus remains on helping Indiana return to the win column.
If her track record is any indication, a little bruising isn't likely to keep one of the Fever's toughest players from making an impact.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 4:44 PM.