Boston Named to Lisa Leslie Award Finalist
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior Aliyah Boston is one of five finalists for the the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. In its fifth year, the annual award recognizes the top center in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball and has gone to Boston each of the last two seasons.
Boston has dominated the paint since she stepped on campus and has elevated her game with each new season, stretching herself to the perimeter on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she is shooting 62.7 percent inside of six feet, 34.4 percent from midrange and 31.0 percent from 3-point range. The combination of which ranks her 28th in the nation in field goal percentage (.544). Boston’s 24-consecutive double-doubles is the longest active streak in the nation and an SEC all-time record. Her 16.8 points per game rise to 17.5 per game against ranked opponents (11 games). Her 12.0 rebounds per game, which rank seventh in the country rise to 12.6 in her 11 games vs. ranked opponents as well. Boston is 10th in the nation in blocks per game (2.68), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and 21st in offensive rebounds per game (3.8).
In more advanced metrics, Boston’s 14.0 win shares is 2.6 better than her next closest competitor, which is the same as the gap between second and 23rd places on that ranking. Her player efficiency rating is tied for best in the nation (45.0), and she is top 10 in the country in player offensive rating (131.5, 6th) and defensive rating (63.9, T-2nd). In fact, Boston is the only player in the country ranked in the top 30 of both categories.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and not just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies goes live on March 11 on HoopHallAwards.com.
The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, 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. 1/1 South Carolina claimed its sixth SEC Regular-Season Championship and now awaits its place in the NCAA Tournament bracket, which will be released on Sun., March. 13.
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 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
Boston has dominated the paint since she stepped on campus and has elevated her game with each new season, stretching herself to the perimeter on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she is shooting 62.7 percent inside of six feet, 34.4 percent from midrange and 31.0 percent from 3-point range. The combination of which ranks her 28th in the nation in field goal percentage (.544). Boston’s 24-consecutive double-doubles is the longest active streak in the nation and an SEC all-time record. Her 16.8 points per game rise to 17.5 per game against ranked opponents (11 games). Her 12.0 rebounds per game, which rank seventh in the country rise to 12.6 in her 11 games vs. ranked opponents as well. Boston is 10th in the nation in blocks per game (2.68), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and 21st in offensive rebounds per game (3.8).
In more advanced metrics, Boston’s 14.0 win shares is 2.6 better than her next closest competitor, which is the same as the gap between second and 23rd places on that ranking. Her player efficiency rating is tied for best in the nation (45.0), and she is top 10 in the country in player offensive rating (131.5, 6th) and defensive rating (63.9, T-2nd). In fact, Boston is the only player in the country ranked in the top 30 of both categories.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and not just five finalists. This month, the finalists will be presented to Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies goes live on March 11 on HoopHallAwards.com.
The winner of the 2022 Lisa Leslie Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, 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. 1/1 South Carolina claimed its sixth SEC Regular-Season Championship and now awaits its place in the NCAA Tournament bracket, which will be released on Sun., March. 13.
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 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Elissa Cunane, NC State
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
