When you hear the name Boston, you instantly think of the most storied franchise in NBA history. The city of the Celtics doesn’t have a team in the WNBA yet, but give it a few years of expansion and they will.
With that being said, from now on when you see Boston across a jersey in the W, you best believe it’s going to be associated with basketball brilliance. Just like Beantown. But this is Aliyah Boston. The South Carolina grad, who has been selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA draft.
The match-up nightmare is going to be a headache. Like staring too long at the orange carpet, she just walked across to her big league destiny. More than this woman too, Aliyah leads five of her South Carolina Gamecocks to the big time. Cutting down nets you’ll never forget, and putting on the cap to match. The legendary Dawn Staley’s stable set to one day be the women’s basketball equivalent of what Coach K had with those devils of Duke. Respect to the reigning MVP and grand champ.
The 2022 Naismith Player of the Year is no stranger to her surname, moving to Massachusetts after her U.S. Virgin Islands beginnings. Becoming South Carolina’s second all-time first pick after A’ja Wilson in 2018. Let the reign begin in her purple hair and crisp white draft night jumpsuit.
The South really has something to say with fellow Carolina Gamecocks primed for the league. Canada’s Laeticia Amihere was selected eight overall by the Atlanta Dream. Zia Cooke was taken at ten by the Los Angeles Sparks. The 24th pick went to the Minnesota Lynx, who selected Brea Beal. One position after her with the 25th choice, Victaria Saxton donned a navy cap to join her college running mate in Indiana.
We know the New York Liberty ringing up top free agent Breanna Stewart for the ultimate super-team is calling on a championship. But the Fever that is slowly setting in Indiana could turn the rest of the W upside down like their classic Stranger Things jerseys.
Staley’s Gamecocks may have made headlines for being the fourth program to have five players taken on the same draft after Tennessee (in both 1999 and 2008) and Notre Dame (2019), but the rest of the draft brought even more major moves to shake up the campaign to come. So much so, a whole host of talent didn’t make the final 36. They’ll find their way to the 144 though. You best believe that there will be more picks to this draft as the WNBA moves from its 25th anniversary to its half century one.
By then, Boston and players like Diamond Miller (selected second by the Lynx) could be gold standard legends. Not to mention Maddy Siegrist, selected third by the Dallas Wings, and the fourth pick Stephanie Soares. Taken by the Washington Mystics, but then traded to the Wings for one hell of a third and fourth draft tandem, spearheading the future of the franchise. Although Stephanie won’t soar just yet. She will miss the forthcoming season after tearing her ACL.
GOAT players like Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles have left the league. Don’t take it personally. It’s just their time. What’s left in their collective career wake is a new generation that has just what it takes to carry the torch and fly.
Believe in Boston.
