Gamecocks' Boston named SEC player of the year, top defender

Posted March 01, 2022 6:00 am

The Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - South Carolina's Aliyah Boston has been named the Southeastern Conference women's player of the year and for the third straight year she has honored as the league's top defensive player.

The top-ranked Gamecocks' star headlined the honors that were released Tuesday and voted on by the league's coaches. Her coach, Dawn Staley, won her fifth SEC coach of the year honor.

Arkansas's Samara Spencer was named freshman of the year and Mississippi's Angel Baker was picked as sixth woman of the year. Georgia's Mikayla Coombs was named the top scholar-athlete.

The first-team All-SEC list included Boston and South Carolina teammate Destanni Henderson. The rest of the first-teamers: Florida's Kiara Smith, Georgia's Jenna Staiti, Kentucky's Rhyne Howard, LSU's Khayla Pointer, Mississippi's Shakira Austin and Tennessee's Jordan Horston.

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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, right, watches as Zia Cooke, left, dribbles during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Auburn, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford) The Associated Press

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