Aliyah Boston Wins Fifth-Straight World Cup Gold With Team USA / sportsearchers.com

South Carolina alumna Aliyah Boston helped Team USA capture its fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s World Cup gold medal, defeating France 97-79 on Sunday in Berlin. The win marks Boston’s sixth international gold medal overall and her second with the U.S. Senior National Team.

Boston’s Tournament Performance

Across six games, Boston averaged 6.2 points on 46.9% shooting in 17.2 minutes per game. Her production peaked in the knockout rounds — she posted a tournament-high eight points in the quarterfinal win over Hungary and grabbed a tournament-high seven rebounds in the semifinal against Spain. In the gold medal game itself, Boston tied for the team lead in plus/minus at +16, adding seven points on perfect shooting from the field.

A Hard-Fought Path to Gold

Team USA didn’t cruise to the title. The Americans survived a three-point win over Italy during pool play and needed second-half comebacks in both the semifinal and championship games. Against Spain in the semifinal, a third-quarter surge tied the game entering the fourth, before the U.S. opened the final period with a 12-2 run to punch their ticket to the gold medal game.

The championship game against France proved even more dramatic. France dominated the opening stretch, building a 31-17 lead with 7:27 left in the second quarter. Boston entered with 6:30 remaining in the half and immediately helped spark a response, contributing three points and a block as the U.S. trimmed the deficit to 43-45 at halftime. The turning point came in the third quarter, where Team USA outscored France 30-12, shooting an efficient 63.2% (12-of-29) while holding France to just 38.5% (5-of-13) — effectively deciding the outcome of the game.

Boston’s International Résumé

This tournament adds to an already decorated international career for Boston, who has now made seven total USA Basketball appearances across both 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 competition — winning gold at every tournament she’s played in. Her Senior National Team résumé now includes this World Cup title, a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA AmeriCup, and a stint at the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgium.

Back to the WNBA Stretch Run

With the World Cup complete, all 12 members of Team USA now return to their WNBA teams with just 11 days remaining in the regular season. Boston — one of 13 former Gamecocks currently on WNBA rosters — returns to an Indiana Fever team that has already clinched a playoff spot, with four games left to determine seeding. Indiana’s roster also features fellow South Carolina alumnae Raven Johnson and Bree Hall.

Beyond Boston, six other former Gamecocks play for teams heading into the 2026 WNBA Playoffs: A’ja Wilson and Ta’Niya Latson with the Las Vegas Aces; Allisha Gray, Te-Hina Paopao, and Madina Okot with the Atlanta Dream; and Laeticia Amihere with the Golden State Valkyries — underscoring just how deeply South Carolina’s talent pipeline continues to shape the professional ranks heading into the postseason.