Harris, Boston Named to Naismith Trophy Midseason Team
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior guard Tyasha Harris and freshman forward Aliyah Boston are among the 30 players named to the 202- Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Team, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Harris was on the award’s preseason list the last two seasons but is making her debut on the midseason team, while it is Boston’s first recognition by the award committee.
Harris is on every national player of the year midseason list as well as among the final 10 for the Nancy Lieberman Award and the top 15 for the Dawn Staley Award. Quietly making her case as one of the most important players in the country, she has been the guiding force for the youthful Gamecocks marching to the No. 1 ranking and the top spot in the SEC standings. She leads the SEC and ranked 16th in the nation with 5.5 assists per game, and her SEC-best 2.62 assist-to-turnover ratio is 14th in the nation. Harris has scored in double figures 18 times this season and handed out five or more assists 14 times. Between her scoring average (12.1 ppg) and points scored off her assists (12.5), she touches 29.8 percent of the Gamecocks’ offense – that number jumps to 35.1 percent (12.4 ppg, 14.4 ppg off assists) in the Gamecocks’ 10 games against ranked opponents.
Boston has commanded a position on several national player of the year midseason lists, often as the only freshman, from her career-opening triple-double to averaging a double-double against ranked opponents (14.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg) – both team highs. She is a force on both ends of the court as she is 14th in the nation in blocks per game and seventh in the country with a .618 field goal percentage. Her 3.9 offensive rebounds per game are 28th in the nation and have directly led to 4.3 of her 13.7 points per game on the season. Boston scores either a field goal or free throw on 55.4 percent of her offensive rebounds. She has 10 double-doubles on the season, matching the Gamecocks’ freshman record and has scored in double figures 22 times in 24 games.
The No. 1/2 Gamecocks continue a four-game homestand on Thu., Feb. 13, against Auburn. Tipoff at Colonial Life Arena is set for 7 p.m. with the game airing on SEC Network.
2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Team
Harris is on every national player of the year midseason list as well as among the final 10 for the Nancy Lieberman Award and the top 15 for the Dawn Staley Award. Quietly making her case as one of the most important players in the country, she has been the guiding force for the youthful Gamecocks marching to the No. 1 ranking and the top spot in the SEC standings. She leads the SEC and ranked 16th in the nation with 5.5 assists per game, and her SEC-best 2.62 assist-to-turnover ratio is 14th in the nation. Harris has scored in double figures 18 times this season and handed out five or more assists 14 times. Between her scoring average (12.1 ppg) and points scored off her assists (12.5), she touches 29.8 percent of the Gamecocks’ offense – that number jumps to 35.1 percent (12.4 ppg, 14.4 ppg off assists) in the Gamecocks’ 10 games against ranked opponents.
Boston has commanded a position on several national player of the year midseason lists, often as the only freshman, from her career-opening triple-double to averaging a double-double against ranked opponents (14.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg) – both team highs. She is a force on both ends of the court as she is 14th in the nation in blocks per game and seventh in the country with a .618 field goal percentage. Her 3.9 offensive rebounds per game are 28th in the nation and have directly led to 4.3 of her 13.7 points per game on the season. Boston scores either a field goal or free throw on 55.4 percent of her offensive rebounds. She has 10 double-doubles on the season, matching the Gamecocks’ freshman record and has scored in double figures 22 times in 24 games.
The No. 1/2 Gamecocks continue a four-game homestand on Thu., Feb. 13, against Auburn. Tipoff at Colonial Life Arena is set for 7 p.m. with the game airing on SEC Network.
2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy Midseason Team
Bella Alarie, Princeton
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Kaila Charles, Maryland
Lauren Cox, Baylor
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Jordan Danberry, Mississippi State
Crystal Dangerfield, UConn
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Kathleen Doyle, Iowa
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Dana Evans, Louisville
Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
Haley Gorecki, Duke
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Ruthy Hebard, Oregon
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Lexie Hull, Stanford
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Aari McDonald, Arizona
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA
Ali Patberg, Indiana
Mikayla Pivec, Oregon State
Satou Sabally, Oregon
Destiny Slocum, Oregon State
NaLyssa Smith, Baylor
Megan Walker, UConn
Kiana Williams, Stanford
Christyn Williams, UConn
