"I love when I see her hype up the crowd": Aliyah Boston pays tribute to Fever's $78,829 unsung hero after Game 2 triumph

Aliyah Boston lavished glowing praise on her Indiana Fever teammate Aerial Powers after the team's 77-60 Game 2 win against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday. Powers signed a $78,829 contract with the Fever after the team suffered multiple injury setbacks during the regular season.

Powers’ enigmatic personality, along with her love and passion for the game, has made her an invaluable asset to the current injury-plagued Indiana squad. She has been the ultimate hype woman for the franchise, constantly getting the crowd involved with her plays and animated reactions. Powers’ teammates and coach are grateful for the impact the veteran player has had on the team.

"I think it's great. She feeds off so much energy, and she always has a lot of energy," Boston told reporters. "So I think for us, just making sure that we always match that, and I love when I see her hype up the crowd. Everyone gets involved. But I think AP, just what she brings to us, that aggression, just getting after loose balls, it’s great."

In Game 2, Aerial Powers made an immediate impact, energizing the crowd as soon as she checked in off the bench. With 2:50 left in the first quarter, the former No. 5 pick battled for a tough offensive rebound and finished the play with a strong basket as she fell to the floor.

She drew the foul and, while still on the ground, glanced at her teammates and the crowd as if to signal that she meant business. Powers then stepped to the free-throw line with confidence and completed the three-point play.

Aerial Powers complemented Aliyah Boston and others perfectly

Aerial Powers executed her role to perfection on the night. While Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell carried much of the load as starters, Powers came off the bench and immediately made life easier for them with her energy, presence, rebounding and hustle.

Powers finished with three points on 1 of 5 shooting, along with seven rebounds in 17 minutes. Boston, meanwhile, was the Fever’s second-leading scorer, tallying 15 points on 7 of 12 shooting to go with five rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes.