Boston, Cooke Earn National Freshman Honors
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball forward Aliyah Boston and guard Zia Cooke were ranked among the nation’s best freshmen by Her Hoop Stats today. Boston earned a spot on the website’s Fab 15 Freshmen, while Cooke was an honorable mention for the first national recognition of her career.
The consensus National Freshman of the Year, a Second-Team All-American and the winner of the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, Boston was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-SEC selection. She broke four South Carolina freshman season record and four program single-game records. Her 10 blocks in the season opener – part of the first triple-double in a college debut in NCAA Div. I women’s basketball history – tied the overall Gamecock record and her 86 on the season were the fourth most by any Gamecock all-time. A force on both ends of the floor in her first college season, Boston finished sixth in the nation in field goal percentage (.608) and 21st in blocks per game (2.61). She was third in the SEC with 9.4 rebounds per game to go with her 12.5 points per game. She recorded 13 double-doubles, including seven in 14 games against ranked opponents. Boston’s game got bigger as the spotlight brightened, averaging 13.0 points and 10.9 rebounds against ranked opponents and 13.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in SEC play.
Cooke’s freshman season was as dynamic as advertised after a high school career that saw her ranked the No. 4 recruit in the 2019 class. She led or tied for the team lead in scoring in 11 games, matching Mikiah Herbert Harrigan for most on the team. Her team-high five 20-point games including four against SEC opponents, which are the most by a Gamecock freshman in program history. Her 13.8 points per SEC game ranked 12th in the conference and fourth among league freshmen. With a broad offensive range, Cooke led the Gamecocks in made 3-pointers (40) and free throws made (79). A competitor who thrives in the brightest spotlight, she tied for the team lead in scoring against ranked opponents at 13.0 points per game, hitting double figures in 12 of the 14 games against ranked foes, including three 20-point games.
No. 1/1 South Carolina finished atop both national polls for the first time in program history after closing its season on a school-record 26-game win streak to post a 32-1 record for its fourth 30-win season under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks won both the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament championships, going 16-0 in league games and adding three wins en route to the tournament title.
2020 Her Hoop Stats Fab 15 Freshmen
The consensus National Freshman of the Year, a Second-Team All-American and the winner of the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, Boston was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-SEC selection. She broke four South Carolina freshman season record and four program single-game records. Her 10 blocks in the season opener – part of the first triple-double in a college debut in NCAA Div. I women’s basketball history – tied the overall Gamecock record and her 86 on the season were the fourth most by any Gamecock all-time. A force on both ends of the floor in her first college season, Boston finished sixth in the nation in field goal percentage (.608) and 21st in blocks per game (2.61). She was third in the SEC with 9.4 rebounds per game to go with her 12.5 points per game. She recorded 13 double-doubles, including seven in 14 games against ranked opponents. Boston’s game got bigger as the spotlight brightened, averaging 13.0 points and 10.9 rebounds against ranked opponents and 13.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in SEC play.
Cooke’s freshman season was as dynamic as advertised after a high school career that saw her ranked the No. 4 recruit in the 2019 class. She led or tied for the team lead in scoring in 11 games, matching Mikiah Herbert Harrigan for most on the team. Her team-high five 20-point games including four against SEC opponents, which are the most by a Gamecock freshman in program history. Her 13.8 points per SEC game ranked 12th in the conference and fourth among league freshmen. With a broad offensive range, Cooke led the Gamecocks in made 3-pointers (40) and free throws made (79). A competitor who thrives in the brightest spotlight, she tied for the team lead in scoring against ranked opponents at 13.0 points per game, hitting double figures in 12 of the 14 games against ranked foes, including three 20-point games.
No. 1/1 South Carolina finished atop both national polls for the first time in program history after closing its season on a school-record 26-game win streak to post a 32-1 record for its fourth 30-win season under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks won both the SEC Regular-Season and Tournament championships, going 16-0 in league games and adding three wins en route to the tournament title.
2020 Her Hoop Stats Fab 15 Freshmen
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Haley Cavinder, Fresno State
Dyaisha Fair, Buffalo
Abby Feit, Evansville
Alex Fowler, Portland
Aislynn Hayes, Middle Tennessee
Jada Holland, Grand Canyon
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Ila Lane, UC Santa Barbara
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Ashley Owusu, Maryland
Kyla McMakin, Longwood
Kayla Padilla, Penn
Alissa Pili, Southern Cal
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
Honorable Mention
Sam Brunelle, Notre Dame
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Leilani Correa, St. John’s
Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Taylor Jones, Oregon State
