“From Gamecock Legend to Boston Royalty—Dawn Staley Can’t Hold Back as Aliyah Boston Gets HUGE Honor from the City of Boston!”

Dawn Staley Celebrates Aliyah Boston as City of Boston Honors Gamecock Legend With Her Own Day

Aliyah Boston just added another incredible achievement to her already legendary resume—and her former coach Dawn Staley couldn’t be prouder.

On July 14, 2025, the City of Boston officially declared the date as Aliyah Boston Day, honoring the Indiana Fever star and South Carolina women’s basketball legend in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House.

Although Boston was born and raised in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, her roots in Massachusetts run deep—she made a name for herself at Worcester Academy, just under 50 miles from the city of Boston.

The celebration came ahead of Indiana’s game against the Connecticut Sun, and the moment was captured in a video shared by the Fever on X (formerly Twitter). Coach Dawn Staley reposted the video, showing just how much the honor meant to her.

“WE ARE ALL WITNESSES OF @aa_boston GREATNESS!! Congrats AB! Columbia and Indy you’re on the clock!” Staley posted, praising her former star’s growing legacy.

A Legacy Born at South Carolina

Boston played under Staley from 2019 to 2023, helping lead the Gamecocks to their second national championship in 2022. That same season, she earned nearly every major individual honor in college basketball:

• NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• AP Player of the Year
• Naismith College Player of the Year
• John R. Wooden Award

She was just as dominant on defense, winning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. Across her four-year college career, Boston was:

• A three-time SEC Champion
• A two-time SEC Tournament MVP
• A four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year

Rising Star in the WNBA and Beyond

After declaring for the 2023 WNBA Draft, Boston was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever and quickly made her mark, winning WNBA Rookie of the Year.

Now, she’s making headlines off the court as well.

To mark Aliyah Boston Day, the new NWSL franchise Boston Legacy FC announced that Boston has become an investor in the team.

“On Aliyah Boston Day in the City of Boston, what better time to say: welcome to the Legacy. Aliyah Boston, WNBA All-Star and three-time Massachusetts Player of the Year, is now a Boston Legacy FC investor,” the club shared on social media.

Boston Legacy FC is expected to join the National Women’s Soccer League in 2026, and Boston’s involvement further highlights her commitment to growing women’s sports—both on and off the hardwood.

With honors rolling in and impact growing across sports, Aliyah Boston’s legacy is just getting started.