A Perennial Power
South Carolina women’s basketball is in the midst of its most successful era, claiming at least 20 wins for the last 12 seasons, including five 30-win seasons in the last eight campaigns. The Gamecocks have played in the NCAA Final Four four times in the last seven NCAA Tournaments, including winning the 2017 and 2022 National Championships. They have been ranked in every AP Poll since Dec. 10, 2012, including a top-10 spot every week since the start of the 2019-20 season. The Gamecocks have amassed 60 AP No. 1 rankings all-time, the fourth-most by a program in the history of that poll,. with a current streak of 35 weeks, which is the third-longest streak in the poll’s history. In the 72 polls since the start of the 2019-20 season, South Carolina has been atop the poll 48 times.
Under head coach Dawn Staley’s leadership, eight Gamecocks have earned All-America status, three have earned SEC Player of the Year honors and 17 have picked up All-SEC recognition at least once. Nine Gamecocks have been selected in the WNBA Draft in the last seven years, including 2018 No. 1 overall pick A’ja Wilson, who went on to become the Gamecocks’ second-straight WNBA Rookie of the Year (2018) and the program’s first WNBA MVP (2020, 2022).
Beyond Basketball
South Carolina posted a 3.011 GPA in the Fall 2022 semester, the program’s eighth-straight semester with a 3.00 or higher mark. In addition to Dean’s List entires Brea Beal and Aliyah Boston (the 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year), who exceeded a 3.5 GPA for the semester, eight other Gamecocks made the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll (3.0 or higher) in the Fall.
Two Gamecocks were named to the CSC Academic All-District Women’s Basketball Team this season. Aliyah Boston and Bree Hall are now in the running for Academic All-America honors.
Boston’s Best
Reigning National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston continues to live up to that title thanks to the flattery of opposing coaches who create defensive schemes expressly designed to slow her down.
Spoiler Alert: It hasn’t really worked. According to Her Hoop Stats, among those playing at least 20 minutes per game, Boston has the best combined offensive and defensive player ratings, coming in sixth and third, respectively, leading the SEC in both categories.
Despite the extra attention – double, triple and the occasional quadruple team – the program’s career double-doubles record holder (77)…