South Carolina Basketball: Gamecock legend designs exclusive shoe
By Kevin Miller
![South Carolina basketball legend Aliyah Boston South Carolina basketball legend Aliyah Boston](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_8001,h_4500,x_0,y_258/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/244/01hzdt3qn13866v8n1qx.jpg)
South Carolina basketball legend A'ja Wilson recently announced that she was dropping her own signature shoe in 2025 known as the A'One. The honor was long overdue for the world's top player, but the Columbia native is sure to sell a lot of Nike sneakers when the long-awaited signature shoes get released.
Over the weekend, another Gamecock great was revealed as receiving an exclusive shoe, as well. Aliyah Boston, likely the 2nd-greatest South Carolina basketball alum ever (behind Wilson), and Adidas are partnering together to create the
'Virgin Island Pride VI Strong' Exhibit Select 2.0." According to the announcement post on social media from the Indiana Fever (Boston's WNBA organization), the shoe was designed to honor the Islands, Boston's faith, and Boston herself during "Aliyah Boston Day" in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The shoe can be seen below.
Aliyah Boston's first adidas PE shoe, the ‘Virgin Island Pride VI Strong’ Exhibit Select 2.0 PE's 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/cCeEWc8TJq
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 1, 2024
After being taken with the first pick in last year's draft, Boston signed with Adidas almost immediately, so it was only a matter of time before the apparel company gave the star her own shoe. Of the five active WNBA stars with signature shoes or signature shoes announced, two are Gamecocks (Boston and Wilson).
With Boston's announcement, only South Carolina has multiple alums with shoe deals. South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley (Nike) also was one of the 14 WNBA players ever to get a signature shoe. The late Nikki McCray-Penson, a former Carolina assistant, also had a shoe.
Aliyah Boston is in her second year in the WNBA after a stellar career in garnet and black with the South Carolina basketball program. The former National Player of the Year, National Defensive Player of the Year, and National Champion followed up her selection as the 1st overall draft pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft by earning a starting spot in the WNBA All-Star Game, where she teamed up with Wilson. Boston went on to win the league's Rookie of the Year honor at season's end.
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