Boston Named to Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior Aliyah Boston is among the 20 candidates named to the 2023 Lisa Leslie Award Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. She has won the award three times in its five years of existence recognizing the top centers in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
The reigning National Player of the Year, Boston is back for another season after a record-setting junior campaign. The NCAA Final Four MOP led the NCAA with a program-record 30 double-doubles last season, including an SEC-record 27 consecutive, as she stamped her authority on the 2021-22 campaign nationally. Her dominance extended beyond basketball as she was named SEC Roy F. Kramer Female Athlete of the Year and became the University’s first Honda Cup winner and CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. In each of her first three seasons, she was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, won the Lisa Leslie Award and picked up All-America recognition.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates, and college basketball fans are encouraged to participate in the Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Fri., Oct. 21. In late January, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed to 10 and then to just five in late February. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where the winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2023 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.
South Carolina will host an exhibition game against Benedict on Mon., Oct. 31, prior to officially opening the 2022-23 season on Mon., Nov. 7, against ETSU at Colonial Life Arena.
Fans interested in buying season tickets for the Gamecocks’ 2022-23 season can find more information at https://thegamecockclub.com/wbb/ or by calling the South Carolina Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-4SC-FANS (472-3267). Single-game ticket information will be announced at a later date.
Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the 2022-23 season ahead.
2023 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
Francesca Belibi, Stanford
Lauren Betts, Stanford
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Kennedy Brown, Duke
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Lucy Cochrane, Portland
Monika Czinano, Iowa
Lauren Ebo, Notre Dame
Emma Grothaus, Washington
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
Taylor Jones, Texas
Dorka Juhasz, UConn
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia tech
Ila Lane, UC Santa Barbara
Alexis Markowski, Nebraska
Quay Miller, Colorado
Bella Murekatete, Washington State
Sedona Prince, Oregon
Josie Williams, Louisville
