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liyah Boston made her South Carolina regular-season debut on Nov. 5. On Nov. 15, just 10 days later, Dawn Staley was asked how the freshman compared to where A’ja Wilson and Alaina Coates — arguably the two most decorated players in program history and both WNBA first round draft picks — were at that point in their careers. “I know A’ja and Alaina, they’re probably going to shoot me a mean text after I say this, but [Aliyah’s] ahead of them,” the Gamecock head coach said. “Here’s why: the communication piece. A’ja and Alaina had older players that they took the backseat to. “Aliyah is just being Aliyah. She’s just calling what she sees.” That, the coach said, is without factoring in skillset. That, of course, Boston also has. Through South Carolina’s first nine games (all starts), the center averaged 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. By comparison, Wilson averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game through her first nine career games.
She’s just a player that understands that she has to impose her will every single time we step on the floor. No matter what the competition, she doesn’t play down. She’s always going to give 110 percent. – DAWN STALEY
AHEAD OF THE GAME Freshman Aliyah Boston blossoms into star player
By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Jenny Dilworth and Allen Sharpe
28 BASKETBALL • ALIYAH BOSTON
One of 20 nominees for the Lisa Leslie Award — given to the nation’s top center — Boston won three of the first four SEC Freshman of the Week awards. “I thought she should have been Freshman of the Week and Player of the Week,” Staley said after the first of the three conference awards. She was also named MVP of the Paradise Jam after scoring a career-high 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds against No. 2 Baylor. Through eight games Boston was first in the SEC in field goal percentage (.726) and blocked shots (26), nine more than the second-ranked player. She was also the only player at the time to have a triple-double. Not only was it a triple-double, it was a triple-double in her college debut. Against Alabama State on Nov. 5, Boston led the Gamecocks to a blowout victory with 12 points, 12 rebounds (seven offensive) and 10 blocks. She also had three steals.
DECEMBER 2019
