Boston, Cooke on Naismith Trophy Midseason Team

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball sophomores Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke were named to the Midseason Team for the 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. The duo joins seven other SEC selections to the 30-player list, the most of any conference. South Carolina is one of four schools with multiple entries on the list.
 
Boston has proven to be one of the most impactful post players on both sides of the ball this season. Ranked 12th in the nation with 2.9 blocked shots per game, she is also 17th in rebounds per game (11.5). She averages a double-double on the season (13.9 ppg / 11.5 rpg), against SEC teams (15.0 ppg / 12.2 rpg) and in eight games against ranked opponents (14.6 ppg / 11.9 rpg). Her scoring and rebounding averages against ranked teams leads the Gamecocks, and four of her eight double-doubles this season have come against ranked foes.
 
Cooke’s explosive scoring ability keeps her at the top of opponents’ scouting reports and has her ranked 11th in the SEC in scoring at 15.9 points per game on the season. She leads the Gamecocks with 13 double-figure scoring games and is second with three 20-point outings. Shooting a team-best 42.6 percent from 3-point range, she averages 1.5 made 3s per game. Cooke is also on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Top 10 and The Dawn Staley Award Watch List.
 
The competition for the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 2, 2021, and four finalists will be named on March 19. The winner will be announced on April 3.

The No. 1/3 Gamecocks play back-to-back home games this week, beginning Thu., Feb. 11, against Missouri. Tipoff at Colonial Life Arena is set for 7 p.m.
 
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 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Midseason Team
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Paige Bueckers, Connecticut
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Charli Collier, Texas
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Dana Evans, Louisville
Kysre Gondrezick, West Virginia
Arella Guirantes, Rutgers
Anastasia Hayes, Middle Tennessee State
Naz Hillmon, Michigan
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Haley Jones, Stanford
N’dea Jones, Texas A&M
Dorka Juhasz, Ohio State
Natasha Mack, Oklahoma State
Aari McDonald, Arizona
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA
Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Ashley Owusu, Maryland
Linsey Pulliam, Northwestern
NaLyssa Smith, Baylor
Jasmine Walker, Alabama
Kiana Williams, Stanford
Christyn Williams, UConn