Boston, Henderson Pick Up WBCA Honors

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball junior forward Aliyah Boston is one of four finalists for the Wade Trophy, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. She and senior point guard Destanni Henderson were also named WBCA Region 2 All-America finalists. The Wade Trophy winner and the 10-member WBCA All-America Team will be announced on Thu., Mar. 31.

The 2022 SEC Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Boston is a First-Team All-American for the second time in as many seasons because she has been consistently dominant all season, leading the nation with 27 double-doubles, including her current NCAA-leading and SEC record-setting streak of 26 in a row. In addition to her 16.4 points per game, she is fifth in the nation in rebounds per game (12.1) – 21st in offensive boards (3.8) and seventh in defensive boards (8.3). Her 2.58 blocks per game are 10th-best in the nation as well. In 11 games against ranked opponents, all of her averages go up – 17.5 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks.

An All-SEC First-Team selection, Henderson is an AP All-America honorable mention and is a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award as well. In addition to her 11.0 points per game, she is among the SEC leaders in assists per game (4.1) and is fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9). She has scored in double figures 15 times in her 30 games this season and handed out five or more assists 14 times. Henderson is also the team’s most consistent 3-point shooter, hitting 38.6 percent from beyond the arc this season.

The Wade Trophy, now in its 45th year, is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award din college women’s basketball. It is named in honor off the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. First awarded in 1978 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Wade Trophy has been presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Player of the Year since 2001;

No. 1/1 South Carolina advanced to its eighth-straight NCAA Sweet 16 with a pair of wins last weekend in Columbia, making the third-longest active streak in the country. The Gamecocks will face No. 17/18 North Carolina in the Greensboro Regional on Fri., March. 25, at 7 p.m. with the game airing on ESPN.

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.