"GREATNESS": Dawn Staley gushes as former South Carolina star Aliyah Boston receives major honor from the city of Boston

Dawn Staley expressed excitement on social media as her former South Carolina player, Aliyah Boston, was honored by the city of Boston. On July 14, 2025, the city officially declared the date as Aliyah Boston Day, a huge recognition for the Indiana Fever forward and South Carolina basketball legend.

Though Boston was born and raised in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, she made her name in Massachusetts during high school at Worcester Academy, located just under 50 miles from Boston.

Ahead of the Indiana Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun, she was celebrated in a special ceremony at the Massachusetts State House. A video of the event was shared on X by the Indiana Fever on July 15, and Coach Staley proudly reposted it with a message that captured the significance of the moment.

“WE ARE ALL WITNESSES OF @aa_boston GREATNESS!! Congrats AB! Columbia and Indy you’re on the clock!,” Staley wrote.

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Boston played under Staley at South Carolina from 2019 to 2023 and helped the Gamecocks win their second national title in 2022. She was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and swept nearly every major individual award that year, including the AP Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, and the Naismith College Player of the Year.

She also stood out defensively, winning the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. Over four seasons, Boston was a three-time SEC champion, a two-time SEC Tournament MVP, and won SEC Defensive Player of the Year honours every single year.

After declaring for the WNBA Draft, she was selected first overall in 2023 by the Indiana Fever and went on to win the league’s Rookie of the Year award.

Aliyah Boston invests in Boston's NWSL team

Despite only turning pro in 2023, Boston is already achieving a lot, and one of such is her investment in Boston's new NWSL team, called the Boston Legacy.

The Boston Legacy social media account announced the move.

"On Aliyah Boston Day in the City of Boston, what better time to say: welcome to the Legacy. Aliyah Boston, WNBA All-Star and three-time Massachusetts Player of the Year, is now a Boston Legacy FC investor."

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The Boston Legacy is a women's soccer club who are expected to join the league in 2026.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by John Maxwell