South Carolina women’s second-year basketball striker Aliyah Boston is one of the four finalists for Naismith’s Defensive Player of the Year 2021, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. She is the only player to be named a finalist for both this award and the Naismith Trophy.
A selection of the First All-America Team by the Associated Press and ESPN.com, Boston was the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a selection of the First All-SEC Team for the second time. She is on the Wooden Award National Ballot and the Lisa Leslie Award Top 5.
USC Athletics Communications and Public Relations
Boston has been the anchor of the Gamecocks throughout the season and continues to intensify their game. His 19.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in the SEC Tournament led South Carolina to its second consecutive title and sixth in the past seven seasons. She recorded a double-double in each game and was named SEC Tournament MVP in the process.
Boston’s 16 doubles, including five in the last five games, are sixth in the country and include eight against nationally ranked opponents. She is 16th in the country in blocks per game (2.7), 11th in rebounds per game (11.9) and 17th in offensive rebounds per game (4.1).
In the season, Boston averages 13.9 points and 11.9 rebounds. Its production increases against opponents classified to 14.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. She has eight games of four or more blocked shots, including the program’s first triple-double against a SEC opponent and the first against a ranked opponent (vs. Georgia, January 21).
The other three finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year are Veronica Burton (Northwestern), Natasha Mack (Oklahoma State) and Aari McDonald (Arizona).
First place in the Hemisfair region of the NCAA tournament, South Carolina’s 6/5 number advanced to the second round with a 79-53 victory over Mercer on Sunday night. The Gamecocks will face Oregon State with eighth seeded on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:00 pm Eastern Time on ESPN.