South Carolina Basketball: Aliyah Boston on pace for all-time record
By Kevin Miller
Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one before: Aliyah Boston is really good at basketball.
The former South Carolina basketball standout has been as great as advertised as a WNBA rookie. The post player has done so many unprecedented things since coming into the league.
Her rookie milestones include being the first rookie to start her career with three-straight games of double-digits scoring and 60% or better shooting from the field (she did it four times in a row), being the first rookie to start the All-Star Game in almost a decade, and being on pace to become the first rookie to lead the league in field goal percentage.
With just ten games to go in her first WNBA regular season, Aliyah Boston isn’t done making history, either. She is set to become the all-time rookie leader in field goal percentage. Her current mark of 60.1% is also higher than Sylvia Fowle’s WNBA career record of 59.3%. Indiana Fever fans could be watching the beginnings of one of the greatest careers of all-time.
With Aliyah Boston’s unrivaled rookie success, Aja Wilson’s pursuit of a third MVP trophy, and Allisha Gray’s first-ever All-Star nod, South Carolina basketball has an argument as the top college basketball program represented in the WNBA.
Carolina owns the record for the most players selected in one WNBA Draft as a remarkable five former Gamecocks were taken in the 2023 Draft. Boston was joined by Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta Dream), Zia Cooke (Los Angeles Sparks), Brea Beal (Minnesota Lynx), and Victaria Saxton (Indiana Fever).
With Dawn Staley still in her coaching prime at the helm of the Gamecock program, however, there is a real possibility that USC continues to improve its standing in the league. With the league’s current best player (Aja Wilson) and the league’s future best player (Aliyah Boston) as South Carolina basketball alums, it’s a good time to be a Gamecock women’s basketball fan.