Quadruple-teams? How Aliyah Boston is adjusting to new levels of defensive pressure
Life as the reigning National Player of the Year comes with much added attention — and South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston is receiving more than her share.
Georgia women’s basketball coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson made the plan simple for Monday’s 68-51 loss to the No. 1 Gamecocks.
“Clog the paint,” she said.
USC’s star senior forward scored a total of 10 points in the first two games of SEC play, shooting 2-of-11 from the field. She followed that with 13 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in Thursday’s 94-42 win over Auburn.
She’s totaled eight double-doubles this season, and opposing teams have made it an emphasis to pack the paint against Boston and the Gamecocks.
The level of zone defenses, trapping and double teams — and even quadruple teams — that Boston’s seen is more than she’s used to, but she and the Gamecocks (14-0, 3-0 SEC) are finding ways to work around it.
“I think in the moment, it’s kind of frustrating for me just because I’m trying to maneuver around it and really figure it out,” Boston said. “I had a pretty good practice (Wednesday) trying to maneuver around stuff like that. It’s gonna get better.”
The single-point scoring games for her against Texas A&M and Georgia marked just the fourth time in her career in which she went consecutive outings without reaching at least 10 points. The last time it occurred was in the first two games of her decorated junior year.
While Boston’s overall stats have declined from a year ago, head coach Dawn Staley doesn’t feel her talent has dipped at all.
“She’s still the best player in the country,” Staley said. “I don’t care what people post or say. No one’s seeing what she’s seeing. And until someone is seeing that, then you really can’t take her National Player of the Year Award away.”
Staley told Boston to consider it “flattering” that it takes everything from an opposing defense to stop her from getting her shots off.
And when the team’s needed big performances from her, Boston’s shown why she brought home so many national awards a year ago.
In games against ranked opponents — Maryland, Stanford and UCLA — she averages 16 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, which nearly mirrors her typical stat line from the 2021-22 season. On paper, her shot attempts and minutes per game have fallen by about four apiece this season. With the Gamecocks winning by wide margins at times, other players have been given opportunities to make contributions on the court.
Boston said she’s had conversations with Staley about the moments when she’s especially needed for USC.
“I think for me, it’s just really about making sure I’m staying ready, but also just continuing to be that great teammate, even if things aren’t going the way I want it to go,” Boston said.
Boston’s contributed in other ways for South Carolina this season besides scoring.
She leads the team with 8.9 rebounds per game and is second with an average of 1.6 blocks.
Others have stepped up for the Gamecocks during Boston’s quieter nights. Senior guard Zia Cooke dropped in 31 points for USC in Monday’s win against Georgia. Freshman guard Talaysia Cooper came off the bench and scored 15 points in the SEC opening victory over Texas A&M.
“I told (Boston) again, because of her, everybody got better,” Staley said. “Everybody on our team got better because of the things that she was able to accomplish.”
Though she’s the best player on the college level, Boston likely won’t see the same style of defenses in the WNBA.
With the heightened talent at the next level, it becomes harder for teams to send multiple defenders on one player each play, or even neglect some of the perimeter players to clog the interior. There’s also a defensive three seconds rule in the pros, both Boston and Staley pointed out.
“The glory days are ahead of her when she’ll see a one-player coverage,” Staley said.
Part of adjusting to the added defensive pressure is mental, Boston said. She credited her coaching staff and teammates for helping her keep things in perspective.
“It’s just in your mind making sure, ‘OK, well I didn’t have my double-double, but that’s OK,’ ” Boston said. “ ‘We won the game, on to the next.’ ”
NEXT FOUR SOUTH CAROLINA WBB GAMES
- Sunday: at Mississippi State, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)
Thursday: at Kentucky, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Jan. 15: home vs. Missouri, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 19: at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
