Aliyah Boston Bio
Aliyah Boston (born December 11, 2001) is an American professional basketball player who plays as a power forward and center for the Indiana Fever of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is also a member of Phantom BC of the Unrivaled women’s 3-on-3 basketball league. Boston was the first overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft and the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote, and she has been selected to the WNBA All-Star Game three times.
Born in Saint Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, Boston rose to national prominence at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts before starring at the University of South Carolina, where she helped the Gamecocks win the NCAA championship in 2022. She has represented the United States in multiple international competitions, winning gold medals at youth and senior levels.
Early Life and Background
Aliyah Boston was born on December 11, 2001, in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, to parents Cleone and Al. She discovered basketball at age 9 while watching her older sister, Alexis, play. At age 12, Aliyah and Alexis relocated from the Virgin Islands to New England to live with their aunt, Jenaire Hodge, and her cousin, Kira Punter, seeing their parents mostly at AAU games in the years that followed.
Boston attended Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she was a three-time Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year (2017, 2018, 2019). In her senior year she led her team to a 24-1 record and a second straight New England Prep School Athletic Council Class A championship, averaging 17.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game. A five-star recruit, she was selected to the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.
Ranked third in the ESPN HoopGurlz 2019 class, Boston committed to head coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks over UConn, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, delivering the consensus number-one recruiting class for 2019.
Path to Basketball
Boston’s competitive path began with USA Basketball youth national teams, including the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship, the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup, the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, and the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup, winning gold at each event. She was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and earned a place on the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup All-Star Five. She also won gold at the 2021 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup with the senior national team.
Her early resume at Worcester Academy, combined with international success, established her as one of the most decorated high school prospects in the country. The combination of size, mobility, and defensive instincts made her a natural fit for a post role at the next level.
Aliyah Boston Career
College Career at South Carolina (2019-2023)
In her first game at the University of South Carolina on November 5, 2019, Boston recorded the first triple-double by a freshman in program history and the first by any NCAA Division I player in her career debut, with a school-record-tying 10 blocks against Alabama State. She won the Reef Division MVP at the 2019 Paradise Jam after a 20-point, 13-rebound win over No. 2 Baylor and helped the Gamecocks secure their first-ever victory over the UConn Huskies on February 10, 2020. Boston was named consensus National Freshman of the Year, helping South Carolina reach No. 1 in both major polls before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a sophomore in 2020-21, she earned the Lisa Leslie Award for the second consecutive year and was a consensus First Team All-American. She recorded the first triple-double in SEC play in program history with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks against Georgia on January 21, 2021, and was named SEC Tournament MVP as the Gamecocks won the title. Boston also became the first sophomore ever to be named the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American of the Year in Division I women’s basketball.
Junior and Senior Seasons (2021-2023)
During her junior year in 2021-22, Boston broke the SEC record with 20 consecutive double-doubles and delivered 11 points and 16 rebounds in South Carolina’s 64-49 national championship win over UConn, earning NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. She swept major national awards, including AP Player of the Year, the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Wade Trophy, the Honda Sports Award, and the Honda-Broderick Cup.
In her senior year of 2022-23, Boston was a unanimous First Team All-American for the third consecutive season and won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the Lisa Leslie Award, SEC Player of the Year, and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. South Carolina advanced to the 2023 Final Four before falling 77-73 to Iowa, ending a 42-game winning streak. Boston finished her college career with a record of 129 wins and 9 losses and graduated with a degree in communications.
Indiana Fever Era (2023-Present)
Boston was the first overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft on April 10, 2023, selected by the Indiana Fever, and became the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 selection. She won WNBA Rookie of the Month in May, June, and August, was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on June 20, 2023, and was a starter for the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, the eighth rookie in league history to start the game. At season’s end, she was unanimously named WNBA Rookie of the Year, AP Rookie of the Year, and became the first player in WNBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage (57.8%) as a rookie.
In 2024, Boston was again named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on June 18, and on July 2, she was selected to the Team WNBA All-Star roster, receiving the second-most fan votes in the league. In April 2025, the Fever exercised their fourth-year option, extending her contract into 2026. She was named an All-Star starter for the third time on June 30, 2025, and was selected to the All-WNBA Second Team after the 2025 season. On April 17, 2026, Boston signed a contract extension with Indiana through the 2029 season, the first use of the league’s Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract (EPIC) provision.
Unrivaled (2024-Present)
On October 31, 2024, Boston was announced as a participant in the inaugural 2025 Unrivaled season, where she played for Vinyl BC. On November 5, 2025, she was drafted by Phantom BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season, where she was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Unrivaled Second Team honors after averaging 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. A right lower extremity injury in her final regular-season game prevented her from competing in Phantom’s postseason and for Team USA at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico.
Driving Style and Strengths
Boston is recognized as one of the most complete two-way post players in the women’s game, combining elite shot-blocking, rebounding, and efficient interior scoring. Her career field goal percentage of 57.8% as a WNBA rookie led the entire league, and her four-time Lisa Leslie Award recognition underscores her consistency as a center at the college level. Her passing and high basketball IQ allow her to facilitate offense from the post, while her footwork and length make her a formidable rim protector.
Notable Events and Milestones
Boston’s signature moments include her 2019 freshman triple-double, the 2022 national championship win over UConn, and her unanimous 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year selection as the first overall pick. She became the first rookie in WNBA history to lead the league in field goal percentage and, in 2026, became the first player to use the EPIC contract provision to sign a multi-year extension with Indiana.
Aliyah Boston Career Wins
Boston’s career is decorated with team championships and individual awards across college, the WNBA, international play, and Unrivaled. Her most prominent titles include the 2022 NCAA championship with South Carolina, multiple SEC championships, the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with the Indiana Fever, and the 2026 Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year award. She has been selected to the WNBA All-Star Game three times and is a four-time Lisa Leslie Award winner.
College and WNBA Highlights
Boston won the 2022 NCAA championship and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while also sweeping the AP Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, Wade Trophy, Honda Sports Award, and Honda-Broderick Cup. In the WNBA, she won WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2023 and was part of the Fever’s 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship team, adding WNBA All-Defensive Second Team and All-WNBA Second Team honors in 2025. She was also named AP Rookie of the Year and a unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year selection.
International and Other Performances
Boston has won four gold medals with USA Basketball youth and senior national teams, including at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship, 2018 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup, 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, and 2019 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup. She added a senior gold at the 2021 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. In 2026, she was named Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-Unrivaled Second Team recognition with Phantom BC.
Aliyah Boston Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Aliyah Boston was raised by her parents, Cleone and Al, in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, alongside her older sister, Alexis Boston, whose youth basketball games inspired Aliyah to start playing at age 9. At age 12, Aliyah and Alexis moved to New England to live with their aunt, Jenaire Hodge, and cousin, Kira Punter, while their parents watched their AAU basketball games from afar in the years that followed.
Off the Court
Boston graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2023 with a degree in communications. She joined NBC Sports as a studio analyst for Big Ten and Notre Dame women’s basketball coverage following her rookie WNBA season, and in February 2024, she became a mentor with the WNBA Changemakers Collective and VOICEINSPORT. In July 2025, she joined the ownership group of Boston Legacy FC, a National Women’s Soccer League expansion club.
2025 Season Performance
Boston’s 2025 WNBA season was her third in the league, and she continued to anchor the Indiana Fever’s frontcourt with All-Star-caliber play. She was named an All-Star starter for the third time in her career on June 30, 2025, and earned All-WNBA Second Team recognition at season’s end, while the Fever captured the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup championship. The April 2025 exercise of her fourth-year option reflected Indiana’s long-term commitment to building around her.
During the 2025 campaign, Boston served as a veteran presence alongside the Fever’s emerging young core, including 2024 No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark. She delivered consistent scoring and rebounding, with her defensive versatility and interior finishing remaining central to the team’s identity. Her All-WNBA Second Team selection came in a season when the Fever advanced to the WNBA semifinals.
Following the season, on April 17, 2026, Boston signed a contract extension with Indiana through the 2029 season, the first use of the league’s EPIC provision, after the Fever’s active offseason in which they added five players and re-signed four others. Her combination of on-court production and franchise stability positions her as a long-term cornerstone of the Indiana Fever.
