Allie Boston, she was on Tuesday night 2022 Honda Cup Award winner. The Honda Cup recognizes top athletes from women’s colleges.
This victory concludes Boston’s historic season, when it won the NCAA National Championship in April and was unanimously named National Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year.
“First of all, thank God. He allowed me to be surrounded by all these talented athletes, so I can really thank him and all my coaches and teammates,” Boston said. Said at a ceremony held on the South Cal Campus. “This is really great. I am very grateful.”
Boston was one of the top three finalists in the Honda Cup, selected by the voting bodies of about 1,000 NCAA schools. Other finalists were Joslyn Alo, who plays softball in Oklahoma, and Trinity Thomas, a Florida gymnast.
The board of directors of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program eventually chose Boston as the winner and won her as the first basketball player. Since Breanna Stewart did so in 2016. Boston is the 16th award-winning basketball player and the first athlete to win the USC.
Dawn Staley was one of those 16 and won the award in 1991 while playing in Virginia.
“It means a lot because many of these women are my role models,” Boston said in her speech. “Director Starry is a past winner and Candace Parker has been one of my role models since I was nine and I can’t believe I can join this group with them.”
During the 2022 campaign, Boston led the gamecock with 16.8 points per game, 12.5 rebounds per game and 90 blocks. She was also named NCAA Women’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Lisa Leslie Award Winner, SEC Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year.
As for the farewell wisdom that Boston wants to convey to future female athletes, she said she trusts God and aims to be better than herself.
“When I committed to South Carolina, everyone asked me if I wanted to be the next A’ja Wilson, so I always said I wanted to be the next Aliyah Boston,” Boston said. rice field. “So setting personal goals and high achievements for yourself and not trying to be like others is the best advice I can give to anyone.”
Michael Sauls is a state summer sports intern. He is an award-winning student journalist at the University of South Carolina and editor-in-chief of The Daily Gamecock.
