Aliyah Boston, a South Carolina phenomenon, is opening up about her admiration for Dawn Staley and her dreams of developing the game for women and girls.
The South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team first started court 99 years ago in 1923, but the modern era of play began in 1974. In all that time, after two decades at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Lady Jamicks has finally become an insurmountable force. On her, winning her first NCAA tournament in five years.
Credit for this phenomenal program goes to everything that Coach Don Staley has built in her 14 years as Head Coach of the Gamecocks. The credit also goes to the high-calibre players who stick to South Carolina in hopes of winning a championship. In 2022, those hopes came true, and there was one major player who contributed to this year’s win: Aliyah Boston.
Before March Madness gripped the nation, FanSided’s Ethan Lee predicted why the Gamecocks would win with Boston on their side.
“Boston, a talented 6-foot-5 junior junior, is South Carolina’s leading scorer. With 16.8 points per game, she is definitely someone other teams need to try and slow down.
However, Boston does more than just bring up the points. At the same time that South Carolina leads in scoring, Boston also leads the Gamecocks in blocks (80), steals (40), and rebounds (371). Oh, and it’s worth noting that she also has 60 assists per season. Boston does a little bit of everything and isn’t just someone any team can overlook.”
It might come as a surprise, then, to learn that Alia Boston once played the only girl on the basketball team.
Alia is from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, where there are few basketball programs available to girls at a young age. When Alia saw her older sister, Alexis, embrace the game, so did Alia, and Alia had been supervising the field since she was nine years old.
ESPN visited Alia at her home in St. Thomas to provide a glimpse into her life on the island. While Alia’s family and friends make it clear that she has always been a star, it is also clear that it has been difficult for a talent like Alia to develop in the game and stay at home. As a teenager, she had to make a difficult choice: If she wanted to shine in basketball, she would have to move to the United States and play for a larger audience and infrastructure to recruit her to collegiate hoops. Alia left home to live with her aunt in Massachusetts, and eventually caught the eye of Dawn Staley. The rest is NCAA history.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 3: Alia Boston #4 of the South Carolina Gamecocks hits back during the National Championship Cup display after defeating the UConn Huskies 64-49 during the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game at Goal Center on April 03, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
“We want that, when the world hears her story and sees where she comes from, they’ll know there are so many identities on this island,” said Cleon Boston, Alia’s mother.
Under Armor believed in Cleon’s message, and they believed in Alia. This is why the popular sports equipment company is helping Alia bring girls’ basketball to the island like never before.
This year, UA Partnership with Aliyah Boston As they launch the first UA Next women’s basketball camp in St. Thomas, VI. According to the company, “The camp will provide high school athletes with access to equipment, training, and facilities later this summer.”
Alia wouldn’t be an emerging basketball legend if she didn’t have a basketball shoe built in her style, which is why she’s the face of UA’s Breakthru 3 women’s basketball shoe, which debuts this fall. And this partnership is just the beginning: Alia will be involved in designing basketball apparel for the next generation of girls in the game.
Between college finals and changing the world, Alia spoke with FanSided about where she finds inspiration and her dream of changing the game for girls in St. Thomas and beyond.
fan side: You proudly represent St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands as the “Virgin Islands’ most crowned high school athlete”. With your talent and passion for the game, tremendous support came from your family and community, but it also came at a cost: you had to leave the island to play competitively in the United States. When you remember your childhood, what does this UA camp mean to you and the young girls who want to play in St. Thomas today?
High Boston: It means a lot to be able to put him in that camp with the help of UA. I hope that young boys and girls who want to play in St Thomas know that it takes a lot of hard work, but that all of their goals can be achieved. They need to have faith in God and know that He will guide their steps and they have to keep working.
fan side: Dawn Staley is an icon in women’s basketball, and she caught her eye when she recruited you to play for South Carolina. In a similar way to you, Dawn also faced challenges playing the game she loved. When she played at the height of the game in the ’90s, there was no WNBA: Dawn won an Olympic gold medal for Team USA in 1996 before she had a chance to play in the league and reach the Hall of Fame. What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from Dawn, as a basketball coach and when you look back on her illustrious career?
Boston: I learned a lot from Coach Staley as a basketball player and black woman. Coach Staley has had huge success in her career both on and off the field. As a player, you’ve accomplished everything great basketball players wanted. You taught me how to be mentally stronger and to be off the court, you taught me how to be confident and proud to be a black woman.
fan side: After winning the NCAA Championship, I imagine you have several companies reaching out to you for a partnership. How about the Under Armor game that sets you apart? Why did you decide to partner with them?
Boston: It is a great honor to work with Under Armor. It means a lot to me because it’s a brand I’ve been wearing for years! I love to swing all kinds of UA clothing and shoes, whether for cross-training or when I’m on the court. I am very excited to be working with Under Armor to continue building and growing the women’s basketball community. I am really looking forward to giving more young girls access to sports at a community level.
fan side: Women’s basketball players are known to be treated differently than their male counterparts in terms of equipment, travel, expenses, and media coverage. During the pandemic, WNBA players documented their living conditions in the bubble, and they were very different from those of NBA players.
You and Under Armor are launching the first UA Next women’s basketball camp in your hometown that will provide high school athletes with access to equipment, training, and facilities. That’s huge! But tell me: Why was bringing this camp to your town so important to you, and in doing so, do you feel like you’re doing your part to break this societal cycle of treating women’s basketball differently than it treats men?
Boston: This is very important to me because I am truly passionate about inspiring and helping the next generation achieve their sporting dreams. It starts small by helping young athletes in underserved communities – by offering coaching, playgrounds and balls, teaching new exercises, introducing young girls to others with similar interests, and more. That’s what we’re aiming to do via UA Next Camp in my hometown of St. Thomas this summer.
fan side: In the 50 years since the ninth title, women’s basketball programs have grown exponentially, expanding all the way to the NCAA March Madness Championships that the Gamecocks have undoubtedly dominated. As we look to the future, what do you think is critical to the growth of women’s basketball at the youth level, the team level, and the professional level?
Boston: I want to see women’s basketball being embraced, covered, and appreciated just as much as men’s basketball. I hope to help bring about this change by continuing to dominate the pitch and use my voice to encourage the next generation to play.
fan side: This UA partnership signifies something we all know: You’ve become one of the biggest faces in basketball. Fortunately, more and more companies are putting women’s basketball players front and center to represent their brands. As you move forward with your career, who are some of the women in the game that you aspire to emulate, both on the court and as entrepreneurs?
Boston: Serena Williams is one of the women I look up to. She achieved great success as an entrepreneur and developed and run many companies while being one of the best athletes in the world.
fan side: What do you imagine the impact of your trip with Under Armor will be for you personally and for the young girls and women who attend your camp?
Boston: Basically I would like to work with Under Armor to encourage young female athletes to always trust their instincts and have fun; To surround themselves with people who push them to be great and ensure they rely on their support system, whether that be through faith, family, friends, coaches or teammates. Personally, I want to be seen and remembered as a role model for young female athletes. I want my legacy to be one full of hope and change. When they hear my name, I want people to think, “Boston High changed the basketball game.”
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