Easy baskets have always been few and far between for Aliyah Boston.
But this season, the South Carolina Gamecocks superstar — who swept last season's Player of the Year awards and is a heavy favorite to reclaim the honors in her senior year — has scarcely found a way to touch the ball without two, three, or even four defenders swarming around her like moths to a flame.
By some measures, the competition has been effective: Boston is averaging 11.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season, down from a career-best 16.8 points and 12.5 rebounds during the Gamecocks' 2022 national championship campaign.
But even with double- and triple-teams thrown at her game after game, Boston has managed to increase both her shooting percentage and her points per scoring attempt from last year, per Her Hoop Stats.
And the 6-foot-5 St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, native naturally helps her teammates thrive given that multiple defenders are glued to her night-in and night-out; with each additional player South Carolina's opponents devote to containing Boston, another Gamecock finds herself unguarded on the floor.
No. 1 South Carolina remains undefeated through 16 games on the season despite facing the likes of No. 2 Stanford and No. 17 Maryland on the road in nonconference play. And, perhaps most compelling of all, Boston leads all players for the top-ranked Gamecocks with 5.6 win shares this year — even despite the ridiculous defenses thrown her way.
Even despite the dips in her traditional statistics, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft has a very real chance of repeating as National Player of the Year. And for those still skeptical, take a gander at what she's faced on the court this year: