Gamecock Trio Earns WNBA All-Star Status
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Three South Carolina women’s basketball alumnae will play in the 2023 WNBA All-Star game. Five-time All-Star A’ja Wilson and 2023- No. 1 draft pick Aliyah Boston were named starters last week, and seven-year veteran Allisha Gray was named an All-Star reserve today. South Carolina matches Notre Dame with three alums making the teams.
The 2023 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will be played on Sat., July 15 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The game will air live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Wilson was the leading vote-getter for the second-consecutive season and will be a team captain for the third time in her six-year career. The two-time league MVP and reigning WNBA Defensive MVP is ninth in the league in scoring at 19.4 points per game, seventh on the glass at 9.0 rebounds per outing and second in blocks per game (2.1), helping the Aces to a league-best 14-1 record.
Just the eighth rookie in league history to earn a starting spot, Boston is the first to do it since 2014. The honor comes as she has exploded into the league for the Indiana Fever, living up to her No. 1 draft pick status. The first-year forward leads the league in field goal percentage, hitting 62.6 percent from the field. She is 22nd in scoring at 15.3 points per game, ninth in rebounding with 8.5 boards per game and seventh in blocks with 1.5 per game – all numbers are tops among this year’s rookies. Boston was named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week on June 20 and WNBA Rookie of the Month for May.
After six seasons in Dallas, Gray joined the Atlanta Dream this season and has thrived. Her team-best 18.3 points per game rank 11th in the league and have come on 48.1 percent shooting, which ranks 10th among league guards. She also hands out 2.9 assists per game and tracks down 5.3 rebounds per outing.
Seven other Gamecocks are currently active in the WNBA, among the most of any college program this season. Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta Dream), Zia Cooke (LA Sparks), Tyasha Harris (Connecticut Sun), Tiffany Mitchell (Minnesota Lynx) and Victaria Saxton (Indiana Fever) were among the eight South Carolina opening day roster entries. Since then, Alaina Coates (Phoenix Mercury) and Destanni Henderson (LA Sparks) have been added to the league for the season.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.
