Boston, Harris Named Wooden Late Season Top 20

COLUMBIA, S.C. –South Carolina women’s basketball senior Tyasha Harris and freshman Aliyah Boston earned spots on the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20, the organization announced tonight. It is the first appearance on the award’s late season list for both Gamecocks.
 
Harris has been enjoying her most well-rounded season as the Gamecocks’ point guard with an SEC-best 5.2 assists and 12.0 points per game. She is third on the team in scoring in SEC games (12.1 ppg) and has hit double figures in eight of the nine league games this season. In eight games against nationally ranked opponents, her scoring average is the same (12.0 ppg), while her assist average rises to 5.6, meaning 32.9 percent of the Gamecocks’ offense in those games goes through her hands. Harris is the Gamecocks’ all-time assist leader with 628 and has handed five or more assists in 68 of her career 128 games (53.1 percent). She joined the 1,000-point club earlier this season as well.
 
Boston has been a steady contributor throughout the season, averaging a double-double in SEC games (13.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg). She is just shy of a double-double in the Gamecocks’ nine games against ranked opponents with 14.4 points and 9.9 rebounds. Overall, she is 20th in the SEC in scoring (13.0 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (8.7 rpg). Her .621 field goal percentage is second in the SEC and among the top 10 in the nation. Boston ranks among the SEC’s top offensive rebounders and immediate scores on 57.4 percent of her offensive rebounds.
 
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2020 John R. Wooden Award Women’s Player of the Year presented by Wendy’s. Players not chosen to the late season list are still eligible for the National Ballot, which will consist of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2020 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy’s during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 10, 2020.
 
No. 1/2 South Carolina is back in action Thursday night at No. 25/22 Arkansas with tipoff on SEC Network scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Kaila Charles, Maryland
Lauren Cox, Baylor
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Crystal Dangerfield, UConn
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chelsea Dungee, Ark
Dana Evans, Louisville
Kiah Gillespie, Florida State
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Ruthy Hebard, Oregon
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
Aarion McDonald, Arizona
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA
Ali Patberg, Indiana
Mikayla Pivec, Oregon State
Satou Sabally, Oregon
Megan Walker, UConn