Henderson, Boston Named to Naismith Midseason Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball senior Destanni Henderson and junior Aliyah Boston have been named to the Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. The duo are two of the seven SEC entries on the 30-player list, matching the Big Ten for the most of any conference.
Also on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, Boston has been making her case for National Player of the Year honors since the third week of the season, recording 16 double-doubles in her last 17 games, including a current streak of 15 straight. Six of those were against ranked opponents. The 6-foot-5 forward ranks among the nation’s top 10 in blocks per game (6th, 3.0), double-doubles (3rd, 16) and rebounds per game (10th, 11.8). Boston has been named SEC Player of the Week four times this season and has six 20-point games on her junior year resume, nearly half of her career total of 14. Her 55.4 percent field goal shooting ranks among the nation’s top 25 and includes 31.4 percent accuracy from 3-point range.
Named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List on Monday, Henderson has been a steadying force for the top-ranked Gamecocks throughout the season. Her 4.4 assists per game are fifth in the SEC and include nine games of five or more. She is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game on a team-best 40.5 percent shooting from 3-point range with 11 double-figure scoring games. Henderson’s 3.6 rebounds per game have her ranked second among Gamecock guards in that category. In just her second season as a full-time starter, Henderson’s 132 career 3-pointers ranks 10th in program history, and she is third in school history with 200 career assists in SEC games.
The Naismith Trophy Midseason Watch List will be narrowed to a list of semifinalists on March 8. Finalists will be named on March 25 with the winner announced on April 2.
No. 1/1 South Carolina is back in action this week with a pair of road games. The Gamecocks travel to Kentucky for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Thu., Feb. 10, on ESPN before heading to border rival Georgia for a noon tipoff on Sun., Feb. 13, on ESPN2.
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.
2022 Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Also on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, Boston has been making her case for National Player of the Year honors since the third week of the season, recording 16 double-doubles in her last 17 games, including a current streak of 15 straight. Six of those were against ranked opponents. The 6-foot-5 forward ranks among the nation’s top 10 in blocks per game (6th, 3.0), double-doubles (3rd, 16) and rebounds per game (10th, 11.8). Boston has been named SEC Player of the Week four times this season and has six 20-point games on her junior year resume, nearly half of her career total of 14. Her 55.4 percent field goal shooting ranks among the nation’s top 25 and includes 31.4 percent accuracy from 3-point range.
Named to the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award Watch List on Monday, Henderson has been a steadying force for the top-ranked Gamecocks throughout the season. Her 4.4 assists per game are fifth in the SEC and include nine games of five or more. She is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game on a team-best 40.5 percent shooting from 3-point range with 11 double-figure scoring games. Henderson’s 3.6 rebounds per game have her ranked second among Gamecock guards in that category. In just her second season as a full-time starter, Henderson’s 132 career 3-pointers ranks 10th in program history, and she is third in school history with 200 career assists in SEC games.
The Naismith Trophy Midseason Watch List will be narrowed to a list of semifinalists on March 8. Finalists will be named on March 25 with the winner announced on April 2.
No. 1/1 South Carolina is back in action this week with a pair of road games. The Gamecocks travel to Kentucky for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Thu., Feb. 10, on ESPN before heading to border rival Georgia for a noon tipoff on Sun., Feb. 13, on ESPN2.
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.
2022 Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Watch List
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Kierstan Bell, FGCU
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Cameron Brink, Stanford
Veronica Burton, Northwestern
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Nia Clouden, Michigan State
Lorela Cubaj, Georgia Tech
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Emily Engstler, Louisville
Shaylee Gonzales, BYU
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Naz Hillmon, Michgan
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Haley Jones, Stanford
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul
Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Ashley Owusu, Maryland
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Angel Reese, Maryland
Cate Reese, Arizona
NaLyssa Smith, Baylor
Jenna Staiti, Georgia
Christyn Williams, UConn
