Another 5-star: Staley’s top-rated 2019 class adds its highest-ranked player yet

South Carolina women’s basketball’s No. 1 recruiting class just got a whole lot better with the addition of No. 3.

That No. 3, per ESPN’s rankings, is 6-foot-4 forward Aliyah Boston, who committed to the Gamecocks and Dawn Staley on Wednesday from her hometown in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Boston, who goes to high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, made her announcement in between games at a tournament in St. Thomas.

A three-time gold medalist with USA Basketball, Boston has twice been named the Gatorade Massachusetts Player of the Year. In her junior season, she led her high school team to a state title while averaging 21.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 6.2 blocks, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. She also recorded four triple-doubles while doing so.

Boston’s coach, Sherry Levin, described her to The State as a hard worker who is improving rapidly and will continue to do so in college.

“She’s improving every day. So what I’ve seen in the past two years of being with her and working with her is she’s eager to learn, she’s eager to get better, and I think that’s something the coaches are also looking at because she’s not coming in by any stretch a finished product,” Levin said. “She’s only going to get better and better, so it will be interesting to see her progression throughout her four years of college.”

ESPN’s Dan Olson wrote of Boston: “Physical low-post prospect delivers through contact; workhorse on glass, delivers consistent results on the block; outlets and initiates the fast break, mobile in transition.”

Dawn Staley’s 2019 class now includes Boston, No. 7 Zia Cooke, a guard from Toledo, Ohio, No. 10 Laeticia Amihere, a forward from Ontario, Canada, No. 13 Brea Beal, a wing from Rock Island, Illinois, and three-star Olivia Thompson, a guard from Lexington, South Carolina.

This story was originally published November 21, 2018 at 7:30 PM.