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Aliya Boston from South Carolina: “Every time we step on this floor, everyone wants to beat us” | NCAA Tournament 2023
ALeah Boston, a phenomenal frontcourt figure on the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, comes across as a genuinely humble person in conversation. A great public speaker (she’s a public relations professional who plans to get into TV journalism once her playing days are over), Boston redirects much of the praise associated with her own success to her family. “My mom told us, my sister and me that we need to choose what we want to do,” Boston tells The Guardian. “She talked to us a lot, even when we were younger, about getting into and out of college without any student loans. So, she wanted us to really excel at something… so we chose basketball.”
However, what started out as a method of getting college scholarships has since blossomed into the start of a potentially great basketball career. The future of Boston in professional basketball is promising – she consensus #1 choice in the WNBA draft next month, but as she and her teammates begin their NCAA Tournament title defense against Norfolk State on Friday, it’s worth taking the time to appreciate everything Boston has accomplished at the college level over the past four years. In March 2023, Boston became Women’s College Basketball’s “Everywhere, Everywhere” – it has won almost every award in existence.
Cataloging all of her personal honors would require a separate article, so here is just a partial list: Boston is the current Naismith College Player of the Year, as well as the current Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. She is the first player, male or female, to win both national awards in the same season. Boston is also the current NCAA Women’s Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and while its national honors continue, Boston’s individual dominance is even more enduring regionally. South Carolina competes in one of the most cutthroat sports leagues in college sports, the Southeastern Conference, and despite being highly competitive, Boston has been a two-time SEC Player of the Year, a two-time SEC Tournament MVP (for her, an SEC postseason performance) and four SEC Defensive Player of the Year (in other words, she won the award every year of her college career).
However, focusing entirely on Boston’s individual achievements is to miss the most impressive aspect of her greatness. To paraphrase Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell: the way Boston plays, her team wins. In fact, the team has been on a steady upward trajectory throughout its student career. While South Carolina’s women’s basketball program was on the rise more than a decade before Boston’s arrival (growth that not coincidentally coincides with head coach Don Staley’s hiring in 2008) and even won its first 2017 NCAA Tournament, Boston’s Freshman Season (2020 ) was a turning point for the team. For example, 2020 was the first season in which South Carolina ended the regular season with the top spot in the nation. Since then, the team has finished the season as the highest ranked team in the country twice more, including this season.
Indeed, Boston believes Staley could have been successful if she ever became an NBA coach, but it’s not like she wants her mentor to leave.
“She’s not going anywhere. Put it there, it’s not going anywhere,” says Boston. “If she went to the NBA… I think they’d have the same respect and listen, and I think they’d be the most winning team in the NBA.”
However, due to Covid, regular season success didn’t translate into national championship glory during Boston’s inaugural season—the NCAA was forced to cancel March Madness in 2020. However, the following season, when the tournament resumed, South Carolina came out on top. Final Four before losing by one point to eventual Stanford champions. in heartbreaking fashion (Boston was one of only two South Carolina players to miss a potential game winner in the closing seconds.) However, just a year after that disappointing finish, Boston led South Carolina to the 2022 national championship.
“It almost looks like stairs,” Boston says. “And now, you’re on top, and, you know, everyone’s following you.” This is putting it mildly. Boston and her South Carolina teammates are not only the reigning national champions, but highly popular to defend his title this year. There’s a reason South Carolina is so highly regarded – the team enters this year’s tournament undefeated.
The extra workload of trying to maintain a perfect record doesn’t seem to faze Boston. “Honestly, it was amazing,” she says. “Every time we step on this floor, everyone wants to beat us… I think it helps our team to keep their cool.”
Despite her team’s collective success, Boston’s hitting and rebounding numbers have actually declined this season, a fact that doesn’t seem to bother her. “The numbers don’t really matter,” Boston says. “I would rather have my numbers look like this and our record looks like it looks right now than I have 30 points and our record [being worse]”. Boston’s declining performance this year can also be partly explained stable double teams (or even triple teams) the opposing teams’ defense turns around in desperation to slow it down.
“[The double teams were] frustrating at first. At the beginning of the season it was much more disappointing than it is now. I think I was able to find my way out of it,” Boston says before adding, “and through it.” Dividing time between offensive and center positions, the 6-foot-5 in Boston frequently mentions his love of the physical, contact style of basketball. “Some people like to avoid contact, but I have always welcomed it,” she says. Boston credits her physical style of play initially as a response to ridicule from opposing teams’ parents. “When I was younger, I played on the courts with the boys,” she recalls. “And their fathers basically said, ‘Don’t lose to a girl!’ ‘”
The on-court success fueled by Boston’s physical style of play has translated into off-court opportunities that may not have been possible even a few years ago. Her career comes at a time when women’s basketball is undergoing significant changes. For example, Boston’s career was bisected by the 2021 NCAA decision to allow college athletes to license their names, likenesses and likenesses (NILs) for financial gain. Thus, given the times, Boston has experienced the life of both a student-athlete compensated largely through scholarships and a young professional with the ability to turn her public profile into business opportunities. “If [NIL had started] freshman year, Boston says. “This is a big deal. It gives student athletes time to start their lives early… it gives us a head start.”
This NIL’s ability to change Boston’s life was enhanced by a concurrent surge in interest in women’s college basketball. The University of South Carolina women’s basketball team in particular has a huge fan base. With an average of over 12,000 people attending each home game, South Carolina has led the women’s college basketball team for eight consecutive years and, in addition, the South Carolina women’s games. Attract more people than the vast majority of men’s college basketball teams in the country.. Such figures have not gone unnoticed in the world of sports business. Among other things, last year Klutch Sports Group (a sports agency closely associated with NBA star LeBron James) launched a women’s basketball division for the first time (Boston was one of the new division’s first clients).
Such achievements seem too late. It was only two years ago when viral video on tiktok drew attention to the discrepancy between the conditions available for women’s and men’s college basketball teams. Things have improved since then, Boston said. “Last year was much better,” she says. “I’m glad that attention has been paid to this.”
The business opportunities made possible by the NIL, along with South Carolina’s on-court (and off-court) success, have helped Boston build a bright future that will likely include not only the WNBA, but playing for the U.S. at the Olympics. 2024 (Boston has previously represented the United States on various youth teams in both all-court basketball tournaments and 3×3 tournaments – it is open to play in both events in 2024). However, despite these potentially distracting thoughts about the future, Boston remains focused on the present. When asked what was on her mind at the moment, she coldly replied, “Right now? state of Norfolk. We take one game at a time, you can’t look ahead.” At least not yet.
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Who is the worst person in the Formula 1 paddock? Max Verstappen is favorite to win his third racing championship in a row in 2023, but is he unbeatable outside the car too? Lewis Hamilton could spend his final season in F1 if Mercedes isn’t fast enough again, but will he beat George Russell in a fistfight? And what about Fernando Alonso? old man’s strength?
We found the person who deciphered this hypothetical scenario.
A former Williams test driver in 1998 who also raced in IndyCar and won titles in Brazil, Max Wilson is an F1 color commentator in his home country. In his spare time, Wilson prefers to “relax” by exchanging punches and kicks in martial arts classes with the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team in Sao Paulo, under the same roof as the former UFC lightweight champion. Charles Oliveira.
Wilson has been involved in judo, jiu-jitsu, muay thai and boxing since childhood, but the choice of a career path for him was a victory in car racing. We interviewed Wilson about Formula 1 and MMA-style driver dispute resolution. He is now the undisputed 2023 Formula 1 mixed martial arts champion among all ten Formula 1 teams. Here’s how he views these hypothetical ten matches.
Red Bull: Max Verstappen vs. Sergio Perez
Well, if this is a five-round fight and it comes to a decision, Max Verstappen will beat Sergio Perez 50-44 – unless he knocks him out in the first round. We did the first race and saw that Verstappen was not even in danger, but this does not necessarily mean that we saw his full potential. Very often, a driver drives at cruising speed when he is at a safe distance from other drivers. I don’t know yet if Verstappen can finish 10 seconds before a second of a full minute, we will find out as the season progresses.
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton vs. George Russell
Photo by Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images
If they fight 10 times – and I know no one fights 10 times – I think the record is four times between Davison Figueiredo another Brandon Moreno – I think every fighter wins five. Hamilton is one of the greatest drivers in Formula 1 history. Russell clearly does not have Hamilton’s numbers, but he showed potential and talent. Experience aside, he has the same potential as Hamilton. Russell finished ahead of Hamilton last year as well. But if they only fought once, it’s a draw.
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso vs. Lance Stroll
What Alonso has done is impressive. If you go back to the history of Formula 1, drivers stop racing when things get more difficult after winning the championship. Alonso won his last championship 17 years ago and came close to winning again in 2007 and twice for Ferrari. After that, he had difficult years, he left Formula 1 and returned, but he is still here. Now he has the opportunity to fight for the top spots in 2023 and that resilience is what I admire about him. I would say Alonso will win this fight by knockout or 50-44 if it comes down to a decision.
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc vs. Carlos Sainz
I think this fight ends in a decision and Leclerc wins eight out of 10 fights. Maybe Carlos Sainz would win here or there because he is talented, but I think Leclerc is a level up, but not enough to say that he will win all 10 fights.
Alfa Romeo: Valtteri Bottas vs. Zhou Guangyu
Look, Zhou Guangyu had an impressive debut season last year, he didn’t make many mistakes and raced alongside Bottas. Bottas, despite not having the same high numbers as Hamilton, he won pole position 20 times when they were on the same team. He’s fast, but he doesn’t have the stability of Hamilton or Verstappen. Going back to that fight, they were close last year but I would say Bottas is the favorite because of his experience in Formula 1. I would say Bottas wins 29-28 in a three round fight.
McLaren: Lando Norris vs. Oscar Piastri
Photo by Bryn Lennon – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
This is very similar to Jose Aldo against. Max Holloway to fight – not so much for the result, but for history. You have a well-established guy, a genius we all know, and another one with a lot of potential. I think it’s about Piastri and Norris. Even the cool Norris is very young, he already has a great record in Formula 1. Piastri showed his potential by winning Formula 3 in his debut year, then winning Formula 2 in his debut year, and then moving to Formula 1. He has potential, but time will tell if he can defeat the elder lion. He wasn’t close in the first race but it was his first race and we can give him a break. I’d rather not choose for this fight [laughs].
Haas: Kevin Magnussen vs. Nico Hulkenberg
Magnussen had a great year when he returned to Formula 1 last year, but I’m betting on Hulkenberg. Hulkenberg like [Ronaldo Souza] “Jacare”. “Jacare” had every chance of becoming a UFC champion, but failed many times when he was about to get such an opportunity, but the fact that he did not become a UFC champion does not change the fact that he could not become one. On the contrary, in fact. Hulkenberg’s F1 record is similar to Jacaret’s in MMA. He holds the record for the most races without a podium, just like the Jacares have never managed to win a title shot. But Hulkenberg’s potential is huge. Hulkenberg is one of the few drivers that Rubens Barrichello praised as teammates. Despite these numbers, and the fact that he has never finished on the podium, and F1 is three years away, the fact that Haas went into the third quarter shows his potential. So I would choose Hulkenberg to win.
Alpine: Esteban Ocon vs. Pierre Gasly
It’s a little more difficult because they’ve only raced once as teammates and it’s hard to draw conclusions. Although Okon qualified better [in Bahrain]Gasly’s race was much better than Ocon’s. I would stay on the fence for this [laughs].
AlphaTauri: Yuki Tsunoda vs. Nick de Vries
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Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images
Based on the first race, we assume that Tsunoda will be faster than de Vries throughout the year because he did better in the race, but I believe in de Vries. All the tension and emotion in your first Formula 1 race comes to you and affects your performance. De Vries’ career history, Formula 2 and Formula E champion – and I think he has something that Tsunoda doesn’t have, which is professionalism. I think he is very talented, so I choose de Vries, 30-27 years old.
Williams: Alex Albon vs. Logan Sargent
So far, we have only had one of the 23 rounds in the Formula 1 season, so it’s too early to say anything. Albon has done well this year, but so has Logan Sargeant. Sargent has a label that he got into F1 not on merit but because he’s American, but how a driver gets into F1 doesn’t necessarily say what his future will be. For example, [Michael] Schumacher got into Formula 1 thanks to Mercedes. Logan Sargent was by far the best debutant [in Bahrain]. He did great in the first race, despite all the expectations and pressure, so I think he has a lot of room for improvement. Maybe it’s a split decision, but I don’t know who will win.
The Detroit Lions faced David Montgomery, who spent his first four seasons in the NFC North with the Chicago Bears.
Needing a runner for next season, they are expected to sign him to a three-year contract once the league’s new year kicks off at 4:00 pm on March 15.
According to ESPN, the deal will be worth $18 million.
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#32 David Montgomery of the Chicago Bears runs with the ball during the second half of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on January 8, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
While the Lions still have D’Andre Swift on the depth chart, last season’s NFL leading scorer Jamaal Williams is a free agent, meaning there are a few spots open in Detroit.
Montgomery has been the Bears’ workhorse in the backfield since he was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft from Iowa State.
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Last season, he had 801 yards on 201 carries and five rushing touchdowns in 16 games for Chicago. He also ran for 1,000 yards after hitting 1,070 yards in 2020.
Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery heads for the touchdown end zone during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, January 2, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
Montgomery also demonstrated his ability to catch the ball on the throw, gaining 1,240 yards on four touchdowns in 155 receptions.
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At the Lions, Montgomery could very well be the workhorse of the team, like Williams. Swift could change in and out of him, especially in situations like this.
Still, the Lions see a lot in Swift, despite losing his spot to Williams in his third season.
Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery (32) in the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan, USA on Sunday, January 1, 2023. (Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Either way, the Lions are getting a familiar player who was hard for their defense to stop. Montgomery has averaged 4.1 yards per carry against Detroit in eight career games.
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