Gamecocks Aliyah Boston’s greatest talent is never satisfied | South Carolina

COLUMBIA – Right here.

There was a lot of space, a lot of time. Why hurry? That’s what kept the shot from the glass.

There. It was the left foot that dragged, pulled the body, affected the arm. I have to watch this.

OK, that was a chintzy call. What should I do? She was right in front, I tried to freeze, I hit her, attacking.

But maybe I could have …

It is a constant process. South Carolina centerman Aliyah Boston is one of the nation’s best players, a unanimous selection as a National Freshman of the Year last season and a pre-season All-American this season, again unanimously. The Gamecocks women’s basketball team is again considered to be the seed in this year’s NCAA tournament and, since it beats Alabama on Sunday, is expected to move up to second place in Monday’s new AP Top 25 poll.

Boston is a big reason why, after eight consecutive games of at least 10 rebounds, five where she scored double digits, four where she scored at least 20 points and one where she got her first triple-double against an SEC team in the history program. It is not enough.

Not for her.

“We, as a team, are going to watch a movie the next day, from us, from the team we are going to play. After that, I’ll be in my room, watching the whole game again, ”said Boston. “I practically look at everything, but sometimes I take a closer look at my position and come back and see again, how I did it, how I scored, how I made a mistake.”

It is there, in the blue light of the computer or TV screen, that Boston really shows itself. The compliments, awards and achievements are wonderful, but they are in the past.

Nothing helps her to improve for the next game, the next chance, the next time she takes the ball in her hands, whips that color-changing ponytail (currently in rainbow shades) and uses her frame 6 -5 to raise and dominate another opponent. As good as she is, she never stops to think how good she is.

“Aliyah doesn’t like to look bad,” said coach Dawn Staley, another perfectionist who, through her amateur, Olympic and professional career, has become a standard for players around the world. “She is probably hitting the locker room now. The chippies she missed, she’ll look at them and see what adjustments she could make, to be more efficient. “

That was after a USC four-point victory at LSU a week ago. Boston had 20 points and 14 rebounds.

But she missed seven shots and three free throws. She blocked only one shot.

That’s why on the return flight from Baton Rouge, and on the return flight from Starkville on Thursday after she scored six points in seven shots, had 12 rebounds and three blocks, she repeated all of her missed shots and how she missed them. This fought for attention with a Netflix-and-chill session (she allowed it, being 19 and a college student alongside a phenomenally talented college athlete).

“I lost a tray because I was in a hurry. I tried to lift it as quickly as possible, ”she said. “The first possession, I have a trip. The coach actually spoke to me, said, ‘Take it, you know they’re coming, so kick it back. I had to watch the pictures I took, my jumpers and why they went wrong. “

“I’m a better 3-point shooter,” Alexis Boston says, matter-of-factly. “She won’t admit it, but I will.”

Perhaps that was what led Aliyah Boston to continue working on hers, paying off for several 3s high school game winners and a surprising twist from the perimeter this year. Alexis, two and a half years older and a former college player, has always seen the emotion of her younger sister.

“Sometimes I have to say, ‘Okay, you did well,'” said Alexis, now a USC women’s basketball manager. “She thinks she has a bad game and doesn’t tell herself that she has played a good game often. She knows she wants to be the best and wants to strive to be the best. “

They live in the same building as the USC and are familiar to the Carolina Coliseum courts of practice. Aliyah always asks Alexis to come and work with her. Without her violet shrinking 6-3, Alexis couldn’t help herself when it comes to making her little sister better.

“We go to the gym together, work on what she didn’t do well in practice or think she did badly in the game,” said Alexis. “She hits herself when watching the movie, so when we have a chance to work together, she wants to work on everything.”

This started when the two played recreational ball and AAU, growing up in the United States Virgin Islands and then moving to Massachusetts to play in high school. It was programmed into the daily routine at Worcester Academy.

“His first year was a good one, the team went well, but I thought, ‘Aliyah is not being used to his potential,'” said his coach, Sherry Levin. “I saw her in a position where the sky is the limit. What happened then was really with Aliyah, because the coaches can show you how, but they have to do it. “

Still growing physically, Boston was a sufficient presence where the US under-17 team invited her to audition. At 14, she did the final grouping, but did not survive the final cut.

“That, for me, was where the click happened,” said Levin. “‘You know what? I’m going to do the next one.’”

Early morning weightlifting. Constant study of the film. Stay after practice to work on individual exercises.

In the second year, Boston became an internal force, but there was always more to add. Levin oversaw the development of a hook shot, a shot from above, the ability to run on the ground (this was shown against the state of Mississippi on Thursday). The more tricks in the bag, Levin trained Boston, the harder it will be for someone to plan for you.

Levin saw a lot of talent in training and in advertising games, where she often saw Virginia playmaker Dawn Staley and Temple coach Dawn Staley. Boston and Staley play in different positions and have different skill sets, but the same commitment to their craft has made them a perfect match.

But, as with all unions, there were some struggles.

Staley admires the relentless passion to improve, but quickly discovered that Boston could go a little too far. It was great that she wanted to keep working, but there must be some time, even if it’s just a minute, to appreciate everything she did to get here.

“I try to take you back. And just make her comfortable, ”said Staley. “You don’t really see me worrying about her playing, even in her worst days. (I tell her), ‘If you don’t see me doing this, then there is no need for you to do this. When I’m worried, that’s when you should be. ‘

“But it’s good to just talk about things and give her confidence. This league is difficult, this game is difficult. If you are not mentally prepared to play good and evil, it will take its toll. “

Boston has been a star since she arrived on campus, at the same time that she became the first option in the Gamecocks attack. Staley always played from the inside out and was blessed with a series of paint presences as her program became elite.

There was some nervousness about starting a freshman alongside two other freshmen and two veterans last year, but it resulted in a dominant season. Boston registered a triple-double in its first game in college, and although some games this year have been bumpy, that’s not a bad thing.

They didn’t cost the team, and the never-satisfied Boston remains unsatisfied.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself. Things need to be perfect, ”said Boston. “Even if I score, the movement of my feet, if things are not in place, I will talk to the coach, watch the movie again.”

She gave herself some credit for a delicious play against Arkansas. She caught the ball near the block, dribbled twice and quickly spun her defender around for the rabbit. “I was working on it,” she said. “I liked that one.”

But even in that double triple against Georgia, she could find something to do better.

Perfection may be unattainable, but that will not stop you from pursuing it.