Boston, most likely No. 1 pick, publicizes for WNBA draft

South Carolina Gamecocks ladies folks’s basketball icon and 2021-22 national player of the year Aliyah Boston officially declared for the 2023 WNBA draft Saturday.

Boston, prolonged presumed to switch first in the 2023 draft class, chose no longer to make use of her fifth year of collegiate eligibility thanks to the “freebie” year granted to varsity athletes in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The No. 1 total pick is held by the Indiana Fever, the principle time they’ve earned the stop different in franchise historical past.

The WNBA draft will be held April 10 in Unusual York.

God makes no errors❤️ this program has been so genuine to my household and I. Would no longer commerce these past 4 years for the relaxation. With cherish gamecock nation❤️ #forevertothee pic.twitter.com/tM2iY0lMet

— Aliyah A. Boston (@aa_boston) April 1, 2023

“After I first arrived on campus on that heat day in May well possibly honest of 2019, I had no notion what to ask as a 17 year used,” Boston wrote in her publish. “Four years later, I will in actual fact insist this changed into once the most productive, first resolution of my existence… There is a quote that says – Lifestyles is no longer measured by the amount of breaths we rob, but by the moments that rob our breath away. In this moment, I’m genuinely breathless as I manufacture the following most productive resolution of my existence. I no doubt gain made up our minds to further pursue my dream by declaring for the 2023 WNBA Draft.”

Boston ends her collegiate occupation helping assign South Carolina as a ladies folks’s basketball powerhouse here to halt. In 2022 she led the Gamecocks to their 2nd national title in 5 tournaments, the put she obtained the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Participant, as properly as a 36-1 document this past season. Their sole loss came from Iowa in the national semifinal recreation Friday.

Boston, along along with her fellow members of South Carolina’s adorned senior class, performed their bustle in Columbia with a 129-9 document over four years that integrated three consecutive Final Four appearances. The NCAA tournament changed into once canceled in 2020, at which point the Gamecocks were ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Moreover to to a hit player of the year as a junior and national freshman of the year in her debut season, the three-time first-team All-American took home two Naismith defensive player of the year honors, two SEC Participant of the one year accolades and 4 Lisa Leslie center of the year awards. Boston averaged 14.1 aspects and 10.8 rebounds per recreation as a four-year starter at South Carolina, whereas all atmosphere this device document for double-doubles (72).

“She’s mountainous. She’s ready,” South Carolina coach Crack of break of day Staley mentioned Friday of Boston. “She has been the cornerstone of our program for the past four years. She elevated us. She raised the regular of diagram basketball. She’s never had a corrupt day. She’s never come into divulge sulking. She’s the least bit times genuine the person that you just observed so very, very fixed.

“I slept totally intellectual she changed into once with our program, and I am going to sleep properly intellectual that she’s okay and he or she’s going to certainly manufacture her mark on the following stage.”

The Fever chosen extra than one younger players in closing year’s draft as section of their rebuild, including No. 2 pick NaLyssa Smith and Destanni Henderson, Boston’s collegiate teammate. Nonetheless Boston might possibly be the franchise player ready to rob the Fever encourage to relevance after lacking the postseason per annum following the 2016 retirement of fable Tamika Catchings.