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Aliyah Boston Sends Clear Dawn Staley Message Amid WNBA Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 5:01 PM ET

It’s been a strong start to the 2025 season for Aliyah Boston. The 23-year-old is in her third year with the Indiana Fever and is averaging 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Boston was dominant in Indiana’s recent win against the Seattle Storm, scoring 31 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 33 minutes during a 94-86 victory.

Before joining the WNBA, Boston had a stellar college career under head coach Dawn Staley at South Carolina. She won a national championship in 2022 and was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year.

On Wednesday, as her hot streak continued, Boston gave a subtle but meaningful nod to her former coach.

"Next book selection for sure."

Boston was referring to Staley’s new book "Uncommon Favor", which was released in May and quickly became a New York Times bestseller.

Staley has been the head coach at South Carolina since 2008. After missing the NCAA Tournament her first three seasons, she’s led the Gamecocks to 13 straight appearances, excluding 2020 when the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. South Carolina has now won three NCAA titles under her, the most recent coming in 2024 against Iowa.

Staley has taken the Gamecocks to the Final Four seven times, including five straight appearances heading into the 2025-26 season.

"Uncommon Favor" details her journey from the basketball courts of North Philadelphia to national stardom at Virginia, where she led her team to three Final Four appearances.

The book shares stories of resilience, growth and leadership, highlighting the battles she faced with sexism, isolation and mental toughness that helped shape her winning mindset.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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