GREENVILLE, S.C. — For as heralded a career as she has had in South Carolina, Aliyah Boston’s final steps on a court in this state went completely unnoticed by the thousands who showed up to see her and the Gamecocks punch their ticket to the Final Four.
There was no thunderous applause from the stands, no bear hug from coach Dawn Staley as Boston exited the floor in Greenville. There was no special PA announcement or crowd salute to the player who has lifted this program to new heights. Boston jogged off the court and made her way down the bench, high-fived her teammates and finally found her spot at the front of the bench near the coaching staff. She sat and looked around.
The Gamecocks were four minutes and 20 seconds away from their 36th consecutive win this season in the Elite Eight — a game Staley has said is the toughest in the NCAA Tournament. But here they were, winning it all the same, grinding down their opponent with impossible depth and talent. Boston had contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in an 86-75 victory against No. 2 seed Maryland — “She was due for one of these big games,” Staley said — and now she had some well-deserved rest.
Aliyah Boston coming off screens is fun as hell pic.twitter.com/lHLEBzQLXl
— Mark Schindler…
