NFL
By: Nick Andre
The South Carolina Gamecocks were right there winning a National Title. As Destanni Henderson missed a contact layup, Aliyah Boston just missed the tip for a go-ahead bucket. Head Coach Dawn Staley and her team look to bounce back after falling short of expectations a season ago. But she will have to rely on her Junior forward, Boston, to lead the way.
Boston has shown tremendous leadership through her first two seasons with South Carolina. I normally look at her as the “Draymond Green” of the Gamecocks. Boston understands how to set the tone from scoring to making hustle plays on the defensive end. The Gamecocks dominated the SEC a season ago which was thanks in part to Boston’s leadership. Heading into this upcoming season, she understands the task will remain the same.
A season ago, Boston averaged 13.7 points per game along with 11.5 rebounds. Her field goal percentage may have dropped, but her confidence increased from her freshman season. Boston improved as a better floor spacer on offense. Her three-point percentage isn’t very high, but she’s gaining the trust of her team to knock down shots on occasion. Once Boston is assertive looking for her shot, it makes South Carolina an even more dangerous team. Although she may not have to carry the load every matchup, it’s still very exciting to watch her dominate.
The Gamecocks coasted through the regular season with a 26-5 record (14-2 in SEC). The great thing about their season was that they took care of business at home by dominating by a wide margin. When it came down to tough matchups on the road, they also continued to show resiliency. One of the Gamecocks losses that stands out a season ago was to Paige Bueckers and the UCONN Huskies. Even in that matchup, South Carolina kept the game close and took and went down in overtime.
Despite that loss, the Gamecocks showed that they can compete through adversity. They had a huge win against Rhyne Howard and the Kentucky Wildcats on January 10, once again taking care of business in their conference. Even in their matchup against Texas A&M on February 28, the Gamecocks continued to fight until the very end. While they went down in a 65-57 loss, the question could have been, could the team have executed better down the stretch? It was a tough nail-biter, to say the least. But the Gamecocks quickly made adjustments in their next game.
The pain of losing in the Final Four still sits for Boston and South Carolina. The team and many fans believed they were willing to take home the trophy. Luckily, the Gamecocks regrouped and are heading into this season with a different mindset. Boston will continue to be joined by Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, and others. The Gamecocks will once again take care of business in the regular season that will prepare them for the NCAA Tournament.
For Boston, her leadership will only elevate. She will continue to set the tone on the defensive end while also contributing offensively. The question can be could she come into this season more of a dangerous force from the perimeter? With this being her junior season, Boston only looks to capitalize off of an illustrious sophomore campaign.
