Boston Among Top 10 for Lisa Leslie Award
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina sophomore Aliyah Boston is among the Top 10 candidates for the Lisa Leslie Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. Named after the three-time All-American, 1994 National Player of the Year and Class of 2015 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its fourth season recognizes the top center in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
The reigning Lisa Leslie Award winner and National Freshman of the Year, Boston continues to earn her spot on every national player of the year watch list as she averages a double-double overall (13.7 ppg / 11.3 rpg), against SEC teams (15.0 ppg / 12.2 rpg) and against ranked opponents (14.3 ppg / 11.4 rpg). She has been a monster on the boards, pulling in double-digit rebounds 11 times this season, including nine SEC outings. She is among the nation’s top 20 in rebounds per game and in the top 30 in offensive boards per game (3.8). Ranked 22nd in the SEC in scoring, she is eighth in field goal percentage (.495). Defensively, she is second in the SEC and among the top 15 in the country in blocked shots per game (2.9) with three games of five or more blocks, including the program’s first triple-double against an SEC team – 16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks against then-#22/23 Georgia (Jan. 21).
In early March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Fri., Feb. 5, at 1 p.m. ET on HoopHallAwards.com.
The winner of the 2021 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award will be presented on Fri., Apr. 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award and the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
No. 2/1 South Carolina will step out of conference play for its next game, traveling to No. 3/5 UConn for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Mon., Feb. 8.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s basketball season.
2021 Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 Watch List
The reigning Lisa Leslie Award winner and National Freshman of the Year, Boston continues to earn her spot on every national player of the year watch list as she averages a double-double overall (13.7 ppg / 11.3 rpg), against SEC teams (15.0 ppg / 12.2 rpg) and against ranked opponents (14.3 ppg / 11.4 rpg). She has been a monster on the boards, pulling in double-digit rebounds 11 times this season, including nine SEC outings. She is among the nation’s top 20 in rebounds per game and in the top 30 in offensive boards per game (3.8). Ranked 22nd in the SEC in scoring, she is eighth in field goal percentage (.495). Defensively, she is second in the SEC and among the top 15 in the country in blocked shots per game (2.9) with three games of five or more blocks, including the program’s first triple-double against an SEC team – 16 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks against then-#22/23 Georgia (Jan. 21).
In early March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Fri., Feb. 5, at 1 p.m. ET on HoopHallAwards.com.
The winner of the 2021 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award will be presented on Fri., Apr. 9, 2021, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award and the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
No. 2/1 South Carolina will step out of conference play for its next game, traveling to No. 3/5 UConn for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Mon., Feb. 8.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on the women’s basketball season.
2021 Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 Watch List
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Kamilla Cardoso, Syracuse
Charli Collier, Texas
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Queen Egbo, Baylor
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Nancy Mulkey, Rice
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn
