Gamecock Trio Collects All-America Honors
COLUMBIA, S.C. – No 1/1 South Carolina women’s basketball seniors Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke earned All-America status from both the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Brea Beal made her All-America debut as one of 22 to get an honorable mention nod from the AP. Boston was also named a First-Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators.
Boston has been an AP All-American every year of her career and is now just the fifth player to do that in the history of the award. This marks her third-straight appearance on that organization’s first team, becoming just the 10th player to achieve that benchmark. This is also the third-straight season that she has been a First-Team Academic All-American.
The Gamecocks’ all-time leading rebounder and career double-doubles record holder, Boston is the only player in the country ranked in the top eight in both player offensive (4th) and defensive (6th) rating this season. Her 13.3 points per game this season include 16.8 points per game against ranked opponents. Her .568 field goal percentage is her best since freshman year and ranks 24th in the country. Defensively she remains a juggernaut, ranking 25th in the nation with 2.0 blocks per game, including an SEC-best 2.3 per conference outing this season. Boston picked up SEC Player of the Year honors for the second-straight season and became a four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year selection. She is a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Lisa Leslie Award and is on the most current watch lists for all three major national player of the year awards.
Cooke was an honorable mention All-American each of the last two seasons, making one of the top three teams for the first time this season. She grabbed First-Team All-SEC honors after leading the Gamecocks in scoring at 15.3 points per game behind a career-best .408 field goal percentage – both numbers that rank among the top 12 in the league. Her offensive production rose in conference play to 17.0 points per game (6th) and 43.4 percent shooting (10th). Scoring in double figures 100 times in her 132 career games, this season has seen those numbers come more efficiently with 13 games shooting at least 50.0 percent from the field, including seven SEC outings. Third on the team in assists with 2.1 per game, Cooke has had her hands on 24.4 percent of the Gamecocks’ total offense this season between her scoring average and points scored off her assists.
Beal’s defense has long been her calling card, and in her final season she has reminded everyone that she was a high-level scorer in high school and has contributed to all areas of the box score. A finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the senior guard is allowing just 4.4 points per game to her defensive assignment. She is second on the team in assists (2.7), third in rebounds (4.2) and fourth in blocked shots (1.1). Her keen understanding of shot selection has her shooting a team- and career-high 38.6 percent from 3-point range and 42.5 percent overall to average 6.2 points per game. Beal has been on a tear heading into the NCAA Tournament, averaging 8.9 points, 4.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds over the last eight games.
NCAA Tournament No. 1 overall seed South Carolina will be back in action on Fri., March 17, against Norfolk State. It will be the second game of the session at Colonial Life Arena, tipping off at approximately 2 p.m. on ESPN.
Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the 2022-23 season.
AP All-America First Team
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
Angel Reese, LSU
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
AP All-America Second Team
Cameron Brink, Stanford
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Diamond Miller, Maryland
Alissa Pili, Utah
AP All-America Third Team
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Haley Jones, Stanford
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul
USBWA All-America First Team
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
Angel Reese, LSU
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
USBWA All-America Second Team
Cameron Brink, Stanford
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Diamond Miller, Maryland
Alissa Pili, Utah
USBWA All-America Third Team
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Haley Jones, Stanford
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow, DePaul
CSC Academic All-America First Team
Alliyah Boston, South Carolina
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Mary Crompton, Illinois State
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
