On Thursday night, South Carolina basketball legends A'ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston were dominant performers in the WNBA. Wilson's Las Vegas Aces faced off against the Phoenix Mercury, and Boston's Indiana Fever played the Atlanta Dream. Both teams earned victories thanks to herculean efforts from their former Gamecock stars.
In Phoenix, A'ja Wilson continued what she's been doing all year by breaking another WNBA record. In fact, she broke two. With her 32-point, 15-rebound explosion, Wilson became the first player in the history of the league to score 25 points in eight games in a row. She also became the fastest (in eleven games) to reach season totals of at least 300 points, 100 rebounds, 25 blocks, and 20 steals. No other player in league history had reached those season benchmarks in fewer than 15 games.
Boston finally was treated as the focal point of the Indiana Fever offense instead of rookie Caitlin Clark. The results were tremendous for Indy as Boston went off for 27 points and 13 rebounds. She tied her career-high in scoring and was one off of her career-high in rebounding. She shot over 50% from the field while taking more shots than any game of the season. The game was her second-straight double-double and was the only time all season she has taken more than 15 shots (something Clark has done four times).
Last season, Wilson and Boston both were WNBA All-Star Game starters, and that reality could come to pass again in 2024. Wilson is the clear frontrunner for MVP (it would be her third time winning the honor), and Boston has bounced back from her slow start.
Fellow Gamecock post player Kamilla Cardoso has earned the first two starts of her career, and she promptly delivered two double-digit scoring performances. The rookie will be in Rookie of the Year conversations by the time the season ends.