Indiana Fever All-Star Aliyah Boston joins Boston Legacy FC investor group

Indiana Fever forward and NCAA champion Aliyah Boston is investing in Boston Legacy FC, the NWSL club announced Monday, joining an investment group that includes gymnast Aly Raisman, actress Elizabeth Banks and Celtics general manager Brad Stevens and his wife, Tracy.

Boston, 28, fell in love with basketball in the U.S. Virgin Islands before she moved to Massachusetts when she was 12 years old and played high school basketball at Worcester Academy, where she was named Gatorade Player of the Year three times. Her No. 00 jersey was the first ever to be retired by the school.

“I’m proud to join the ownership group of the Boston Legacy,” Boston said in a statement. “This city helped raise me, and the support I felt here shaped so much of who I am. I couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to invest into a franchise that’s building something special for its players, for the city, and for women’s sports as a whole.

“And yes,” she said, “Boston repping Boston just felt right!”

The South Carolina alumnae won an NCAA championship with the Gamecocks in 2022, her junior year. The following year, the Indiana Fever took her with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft. Boston was named Rookie of the Year and has made the WNBA All-Star roster each season she’s played professionally. Boston also played for Vinyl BC in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled basketball league.

“Aliyah’s investment in our club demonstrates the strength of women’s sports as our two leagues — the WNBA and NWSL — continue to grow and expand,” said Legacy controlling owner Jennifer Epstein in a statement.

“She is a proven winner who understands what it takes to build a championship team, and her presence in our investor group brings an invaluable athlete perspective. It’s an exciting time to see professional female athletes help shape the future of global women’s sports,” Epstein added.

Boston’s Fever teammate, Caitlin Clark, previously joined a Cincinnati-based ownership group looking to bring an NWSL expansion team to that city. The bid ultimately failed in favor of the group in Denver.

The Legacy’s announcement of Boston’s involvement as an investor comes days after the club made striker Aïssata Traoré its second signing, contracting her through the 2028 season as the first player from Mali to compete in the NWSL. She, like their first signing Annie Karich, will play on loan until preseason begins in January.

On June 25, the Legacy named Filipa Patão its inaugural head coach. Patão comes to Boston from Lisbon, where she managed the Portuguese side Benfica for five years.

(Top photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)