Boston Named to Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina freshman Aliyah Boston earned a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List as the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame tapped the top 20 female collegiate centers in the nation. In just its third season, the award went to Gamecock alumna A’ja Wilson in 2018. Fans can vote on the Women’s Starting Five at http://www.hoophallawards.com/women/vote.php beginning today.
Boston joins the Gamecocks after a consensus All-America senior season at Worcester (Mass.) Academy. Rated the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2019, she was the top post player in the group after averaging 17.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in leading Worcester to a second-straight New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class A championship in 2018-19. A three-time Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year selection, she was twice the NEPSAC Player of the Year. Boston also has an extensive USA Basketball resume, collecting four gold medals, including the most recent 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup victory.
The selection committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top college women’s basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Lisa Leslie Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Lisa Leslie Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, Calif., on Fri., April 10, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five.
Another Gamecock is in the running for one of those Women’s Starting Five awards as senior Tyasha Harris was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list earlier this week.
The Gamecocks host an exhibition game on Fri., Nov. 1, taking on North Georgia at Colonial Life Arena at 7 p.m. Admission to the game is free. South Carolina officially opens the 2019-20 season four nights later against Alabama State in a 7 p.m. tipoff on Tue., Nov. 5.
Fans interested in buying season tickets for the Gamecocks’ 2019-20 season can find more information at http://www.itsgreattobeagamecock.com/wbb18/ or by calling the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-4SC-FANS (472-3267).
2020 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
Queen Egbo, Baylor
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn
Jade Williams, Duke
Kristin Scott, Iowa State
Kayla Cooper-Williams, James Madison
Shakira Austin, Maryland
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Kate Cain, Nebraska
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Eleah Parker, Penn
Ae’Rianna Harris, Purdue
Nancy Mulkey, Rice
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Maya Dodson, Stanford
Charli Collier, Texas
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
Brittany Brewer, Texas Tech
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt
