After a glittering four-year college career, South Carolina star Aliyah Boston is moving on to her next chapter.
In a Twitter post Saturday, the Gamecocks forward announced that she is declaring for the 2023 WNBA Draft. The announcement came in the wake of South Carolina's loss to Iowa in the Final Four that ended what had been a perfect season.
The Gamecocks came into the game 36-0 but lost 77-73 after Iowa's Caitlin Clark dropped 41 points.
God makes no mistakes❤️ this program has been so good to my family and I. Wouldn’t trade these past 4 years for anything. With love gamecock nation❤️ #forevertothee pic.twitter.com/tM2iY0lMet
— Aliyah A. Boston (@aa_boston) April 1, 2023
Boston, who could have returned to college for a fifth season, is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick when the draft takes place on April 10. The first pick is owned by the Indiana Fever, who won the rights to it in the 2022 Draft Lottery.
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Here's everything you need to know about Boston as she prepares to make the step up to the professional level:
Where is Aliyah Boston from?
Boston was born and raised in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Her love for basketball comes from watching her older sister, Alexis, play the sport growing up.
When Boston was 12, she moved with her sister to Massachusetts, where she went on to play high school basketball at Worcester Academy. She earned Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year honors in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and was named a consensus All-American in 2019.
She was rated as a five-star recruit and ranked the No. 3 overall prospect in the Class of 2019 by ESPN. She committed to play her college ball for Dawn Staley at South Carolina after turning down offers from programs such as Ohio State, UConn and Notre Dame.
MORE: How Aliyah Boston's Caribbean roots shine through on the court
Aliyah Boston college career
Boston was one of the Gamecocks' most important players during her four years in Columbia. Her college production peaked during her junior season, in which she averaged 16.8 points and 12.5 rebounds per game as South Carolina won its second national title in program history.
Her numbers declined slightly in her senior season, but she was still second on the team in scoring with 13.2 points per game as Staley's squad rattled off 36 straight wins. However, she was held in check by Iowa on Friday night and finished the Final Four matchup with just just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting.
It may have been a disappointing end to her college career, but she still accomplished plenty during her time with South Carolina.
Aliyah Boston stats
| Season | GP | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG | SPG |
| 2019-20 | 33 | 0.608 | 0.167 | 0.738 | 12.5 | 9.4 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| 2020-21 | 31 | 0.485 | 0.265 | 0.764 | 13.7 | 11.5 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.2 |
| 2021-22 | 37 | 0.542 | 0.292 | 0.771 | 16.8 | 12.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| 2022-23 | 37 | 0.559 | 0.105 | 0.753 | 13.0 | 9.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 0.5 |
| Career | 138 | 0.546 | 0.242 | 0.759 | 14.1 | 10.8 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.0 |
Records
- Most double-doubles in South Carolina women's basketball history
Honors
- Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (2023)
- Wooden Award winner (2022)
- Naismith College Player of the Year (2022)
- Associated Press National Player of the Year (2022)
- Three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Three-time Associated Press and USBWA first-team All-American (2021, 2022, 2023)
- Two-time WBCA first-team All-American (2021, 2022)
- Two-time SEC Player of the Year (2022, 2023)
- SEC Female Athlete of the Year (2022)
- Three-time Lisa Leslie Award winner (center of the year) (2020, 2021, 2022)
- Honda Cup Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year (2022)
- Four-time first-team All-SEC (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- Four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
- Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2022)
- SEC Tournament MVP (2021, 2023)
- SEC Freshman of the Year (2020)
MORE: Dawn Staley calls out media for criticizing South Carolina's play style
Aliyah Boston scouting report
Boston is expected to be taken No. 1 overall at the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, who own the first pick.
Her elite size, scoring ability and basketball IQ make her an exciting prospect who should have no trouble making the step up to the pros. However, she will likely need to improve her shooting to continue being a dominant force in the WNBA.
Strengths
- Size (6-5, 180 pounds)
- Versatility and skill on offense and defense
- Athleticism, agility and ability to set the tone
- Basketball IQ
- Able to remain vertical in the paint, hardly fouls (3.2 percent foul rate as a senior)
- Efficient and effective near the rim, but can hold her own on the perimeter with ease
Weaknesses
- Three-point shooting
- Stats are not the most dominant
- Unreliable jump shots
MORE: Why Aliyah Boston projects as a top pick in the 2023 draft
When is the 2023 WNBA Draft?
- Date: Friday, April 10
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
The 2023 WNBA Draft will take place Friday, April 10, at 7 p.m. ET at Spring Studios New York in lower Manhattan. The draft will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN.
The WNBA season tips off on May 19, with training camp beginning April 30 and preseason play getting underway on May 5.
MORE: WNBA key dates for 2023 season
Sara Tidwell contributed to this report.