Aliyah Boston is now a member of the Elite Club of Threes.
The South Carolina star was honored as an All-American for the third straight year by The Associated Press on Wednesday. She is only the 10th player to have received this honor three times.
Boston was joined on the first team by Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist, LSU’s Angel Reese and Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes. Boston and Clark were unanimous decisions by the 28-member national media panel that votes into the AP Top 25 each week.
It is the second consecutive season that a player has joined the club. Rhyne Howard from Kentucky made it last season.
South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson, Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke’s Alana Beard, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, and UConn’s Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore are the only other players to have played at least three times in of the first team were awarded. Paris and Moore have done it four times.
Boston was awarded second-team All-America honors in her freshman year.
“Aliyah has been my best varsity player for as many years as an All-American, but definitely the last two seasons,” said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. “I really hope we can give her her flowers while she’s still a collegiate athlete because I don’t think there will be another Aliyah Boston to ever grace college women’s basketball.”
Boston helped South Carolina go undefeated in the regular season and enter the NCAA tournament as the top pick overall. She averaged 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. She’s a big reason the Gamecocks went No. 1 in the AP poll for the second straight season.
Clark could join the three-man club next season. The junior once again put in impressive numbers averaging 27.0 points, second best in the nation. She also had 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game to help Iowa win the Big Ten tournament title for the second straight year.
“It’s one thing to be a first-team All-American and another to get it back-to-back seasons,” said Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. “Our program, our university and our state are so proud of all that they have achieved so far. Nobody deserves more than a generational player like Clark.”
Clark was only behind Siegrist in the standings. The Villanova star averaged 28.9 points this season and set the career Big East scoring record. She has 984 points this season and aims to become the fifth player of all time to score over 1,000 points in a season. She has 20+ points in 34 straight games, adrift of Kelsey Plum’s record set in 2016-17.
“Maddy is an All-American in every sense of the word and she really deserves this honor,” said Villanova coach Denise Dillon. “On the pitch, the numbers she’s put up this year are mind-blowing. Leading the country in goals and scoring 1,000 points in one season is amazing. We are so proud that Maddy will become the first all-American Associated Press in the history of the program.”
Reese had a stellar season for the Tigers, averaging 23.4 points and 15.5 rebounds while shooting 54% from the field. The sophomore forward broke Sylvia Fowles’ school record with 20 straight double-doubles.
“Angel Reese joined our program and has made a tremendous impact on our team,” said LSU coach Kim Mulkey. “She has special skills that make her one of the best players in the nation. She is definitely one of the best players in the country. We are excited to see what her future holds and the impact she will have on our team at LSU.”
Holmes helped Indiana have one of the best seasons in school history. The Hoosiers, who finished second in the AP poll, won the Big Ten regular-season title. Holmes averaged 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 68.8% from the field.
“This is an amazing achievement for a Maine girl,” said Indiana’s coach Teri Moren. “No one is more excited and happier for them than our staff and their teammates. It’s well deserved. She’s been working on her game since arriving in Bloomington.”
Boston, Clark, Stanford’s Haley Jones, Iowa State’s Ashley Joens, Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley and DePaul’s Aneesah Morrow made up the preseason All-America team.
SECOND TEAM
The second AP team was led by Kitley, who was ACC Player of the Year for the second straight year. She was joined by Stanford’s Cameron Brink, Maryland’s Diamond Miller, Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Utah’s Alissa Pili.
THIRD TEAM
The third AP team consisted of Joens, Aaliyah Edwards from UConn, Morrow, Jones and Zia Cooke from South Carolina.
AWARD
Indiana’s Grace Berger and Florida freshman Ta’Niya Latson and Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith were the leading vote collectors among players who did not make the three All-America teams. Players received honorable mention status if they appeared on one of the ballots.
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