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Revision as of 09:27, 1 May 2022

Aliyah Boston
Boston with South Carolina in 2022
No. 4 – South Carolina Gamecocks
PositionPower forward / Center
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-12-11) December 11, 2001 (age 22)
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolWorcester Academy
(Worcester, Massachusetts)
CollegeSouth Carolina (2019–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  Vereinigte Staaten
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal – first place 2021 San Juan Team
FIBA U19 Women's World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2019 Thailand Team
FIBA U17 Women's World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2018 Belarus Team
FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women
Gold medal – first place 2017 Argentina Team
Women's 3x3 basketball
Representing the  Vereinigte Staaten
Youth Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Argentina Team

Aliyah Boston (born December 11, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). She plays the power forward and center positions.

Born in Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, Boston attended Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she was a McDonald's All-American and a three-time Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year.[1] Boston has won several gold medals representing the United States.

Boston led South Carolina to their second national championship in school history in 2022 and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP). That year, she also won Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Boston won the Lisa Leslie Award as the best center in NCAA women's basketball in three consecutive years.

Early life

Boston was born on December 11, 2001 to parents Cleone and Al in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Boston fell in love with basketball at age 9 watching her older sister Alexis play. At age 12, Aliyah and Alexis moved from their home in the Virgin Islands, to New England to live with their aunt, Jenaire Hodge, and her cousin, Kira Punter. Boston would only see her parents a few times over the following years, mostly to watch Aliyah's AAU basketball games.[2][3]

"When I first started playing, it was kind of just for fun, but then I realized how much you could get out of playing. So we've all had faith in God that I could; my goal is to go to college with a scholarship. God has helped us with that".

— Aliyah Boston[2]

High school career

Boston attended Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, winning Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year honors in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Boston led her team to a to 24-1 record and a second straight New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class A championship in 2019. That year, she was a consensus All-American, averaging 17.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game. Boston was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic in 2019.[4]

A five-star recruit, Boston was ranked third in the ESPN HoopGurlz 2019 class.[5] Boston committed to Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks over UConn, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, giving the Gamecocks the consensus number one recruiting class for 2019.[6]

College career

Freshman season

Boston with South Carolina in 2020

In her first game at the University of South Carolina on November 5, 2019, Boston posted the first triple-double by a freshman in program history and the first by any NCAA Division I player in her career debut against Alabama State, including a school-record tying 10 blocks.[7] Boston helped lead the Gamecocks to a big early season road win @ No. 4 Maryland scoring eight of the team’s first 10 points and blocking five shots in the opening quarter. In the Paradise Jam, Boston won Reef division MVP after she had 20 points, and 13 rebounds in a win against No. 2 Baylor clinching the tournament championship. On January 20, Boston notched her eighth double-double of the season finishing with 12 rebounds, and 21 points in a win over No. 9 Mississippi State. Boston played a huge role in the No. 1 Gamecocks first ever victory over the UConn Huskies on February 10, capturing her tenth double double of the year.[4]

Against LSU, Boston blocked five shots to become the program’s all-time freshman blocks leader in a win. Boston would finish the SEC regular season Averaging a double-double against SEC competition (13.1 ppg/10.3 rpg) as the No. 1 Gamecocks (32-1) swept the SEC regular season and tournament championships.[4]

Boston was named consensus Freshman of the year, and was Part of first team in Gamecock history to end the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, claiming that spot in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches' Poll, before the Tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.[4]

Sophomore season

Boston started off the season hot against 23rd ranked Iowa State, recording five of the team's first 10 points which included a 3 pointer, she then scored four of her season high 13 points off offensive rebounds. Against Florida, Boston continued to show her all around game when she hit three 3's and recorded 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Scoring 19 points, and 11 rebounds in the first half and became the 11th fastest Gamecock to score 500 points in her career. On January 10 in a win at 10th ranked Kentucky, Boston put up 20 points and 12 rebounds, scoring her fourth double double of the season and also included seven blocks, she would earn SEC co-player of the week honors. Boston helped secure a 104–82 win over 17th ranked Arkansas, She finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds. she scored six points, six rebounds and three blocks in the games opening five minutes. On January 21 in a win vs. Georgia, Boston made history the program’s first triple-double in SEC play finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks. Against LSU, Boston notched her third straight double-double with 20 points, 14 rebounds. Facing a tough double team against Alabama, Boston remained poised and handed out a career high 6 assist to go with 13 rebounds. In a road game against UConn, Boston completed her eighth double-double on the season, pulling down 15 rebounds, including eight in the final 15 minutes.

Boston was crucial in the Gamecocks SEC Tournament Championship win, in the semifinals vs. Tennessee, Boston scored 15 points and 11 rebounds, and in the finals against Georgia scored 27 points, 10 rebounds. Boston was named SEC Tournament MVP, she recorded double doubles in all three of the Gamecocks games. In her NCAA Tournament debut against no. 16th seeded Mercer, she would notch a 20 point and 18 rebound game. In the elite eight against Texas, Boston scored six of her ten points the first quarter. Boston had 16 rebounds in the season ending loss against Stanford and missed a potential game winning lay-up at the buzzer as South Carolina lost 66-65. At the conclusion of the season, she was named Lisa Leslie award winner for the second straight year, was named consensus First Team All-American, and was named National Player of the year by The Athletic.[4]

Boston is also the first sophomore ever to be named by the College Sports Information Directors of America as its Academic All-American of the Year in D-I women's basketball, being so honored in 2021.[8]

Junior season

The Gamecocks won the national championship in 2021–22. In the championship game, Boston finished with 11 points and a team-high 16 rebounds for her Division I-high 30th double-double of the season. She was named the NCAA Tournament MOP.[9]

College statistics

Regular season

Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 South Carolina 33 412 .608 .167 .738 9.4 1.0 1.3 2.6 12.5
2020–21 South Carolina 31 425 .485 .265 .764 11.5 1.6 1.2 2.6 13.7
Career 64 837 .542 .246 .753 10.4 1.3 1.2 2.6 13.1

Postseason

Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 South Carolina 3 26 .545 .250 .250 11.3 0.7 1.0 2.3 8.7
2020–21 South Carolina 8 127 .473 .417 .850 11.0 1.6 1.3 1.8 15.9
Career 11 153 .487 .375 .795 11.1 1.4 1.2 1.9 13.9

National team career

Boston with the United States at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics

Boston has represented the United States at various international competitions, including the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship, 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, 2018 FIBA Under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup, and 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup winning gold each time, she was named MVP of the FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Boston also won gold at the 2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup.

National team statistics

Youth

Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
U16 Vereinigte Staaten 5 59 .543 .000 .692 8.6 0.2 2.4 1.6 11.8
U17 Vereinigte Staaten 10 101 .656 .000 .722 8.0 1.5 0.7 1.6 10.1
U19 Vereinigte Staaten 7 59 .443 .000 .556 6.1 1.4 1.0 1.6 8.4
Career[1] 22 219 .552 .000 .675 7.5 1.2 1.2 1.6 10.0

Senior

Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021 Vereinigte Staaten 6 75 .537 .250 .842 9.3 1.8 0.8 1.8 12.5
Career[10] 6 75 .537 .250 .842 9.3 1.8 0.8 1.8 12.5

Awards

High school

  • USA Today Massachusetts Player of the Year (2019)
  • Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year (2017, 2018, 2019)
  • Naismith All-America Second Team (2019)
  • WBCA All-America Second Team (2019)
  • McDonald’s All-America (2019)
  • SLAM All-America (2019)

College

International

References

  1. ^ a b "Aliyah Boston". Usab.com.
  2. ^ a b "Far From Home, Aliyah Boston Has Found A Home On The Court With USA Basketball". Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Where will Aliyah Boston take her two gold medals next?". September 27, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Aliyah Boston". GamecocksOnline.com. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "2019 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100". Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "No. 3 prospect Aliyah Boston joins the talented crowd headed to South Carolina". November 22, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  7. ^ "Boston's triple-double sets tone for No. 8 Gamecocks". ESPN.com. November 6, 2019.
  8. ^ "Corey Kispert of Gonzaga, Aliyah Boston of South Carolina Lead Academic All-America® NCAA Division I Men's & Women's Basketball Teams" (PDF) (Press release). College Sports Information Directors of America. May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  9. ^ Evans, Jace (April 3, 2022). "South Carolina dominates Connecticut to secure second national championship". USA Today. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Aliyah BOSTON (USA)'s profile". Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "2021-22 Academic All-America® Women's Basketball Teams Announced For All NCAA and NAIA Divisions" (Press release). College Sports Information Directors of America. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "Wade Trophy winner Aliyah Boston headlines 2022 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America team". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
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