Three former Gamecocks ranked among ESPN’s top 25 WNBA players

Three former Gamecocks made ESPN’s list of top 25 WNBA players heading into the 2024 season.

A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Allisha Gray all fell inside the top 20 of the national rankings. Wilson is No. 1, with Boston at No. 13 and Gray at No. 18. All three South Carolina women’s basketball alums were All-Stars last season and played for the team captained by Wilson.

Wilson is a two-time WNBA champion, league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award winner with the Las Vegas Aces. Last season she achieved career highs in points and rebounds per game as well as shooting percentage (55.7%). She averaged 23.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in nine playoff games en route to her first Finals MVP award. Not winning her third league MVP award in 2023 provided Wilson with even more motivation heading into her seventh season.

“When you have people out here voting me fourth, that’s all the motivation that I need,” Wilson said earlier this week with a sarcastic laugh. “That right there was just the chip on the shoulder, it was the cherry on top. And it will forever be my motivation. I might get it tatted on me because it’s crazy.”

Boston was unanimously named WNBA Rookie of the Year last season with the Indiana Fever. She led the league in field goal percentage (57.8%) and offensive rebounds (125) and ranked No. 7 in win shares (6.0). Her Year 2 goal is to lead Indiana to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Gray achieved career highs in points (17.1) and assists per game (3.1) last season in her first year with the Atlanta Dream. She also made 50% of her 2-point field goals. The impressive performance earned Gray the first All-Star nod of her career in her sixth year in the league.

The WNBA regular season tips off Tuesday. Wilson and the Aces will debut against the Phoenix Mercury at 10 p.m. on opening day. Boston and the Fever play the Connecticut Sun at 8 p.m. Gray and the Dream will start the season Wednesday at 10 p.m. versus the Los Angeles Sparks.

Wilson and Las Vegas play their sole preseason game Saturday in Colonial Life Arena at 1 p.m. They’ll take on the Puerto Rican National Team in Wilson’s hometown of Columbia. The game marks the first time since 2018 that Wilson will play on USC’s home court.