"There was no talk of a statue before A'ja Wilson": When $12 million worth Dawn Staley got candid about Aliyah Boston's South Carolina legacy

The University of South Carolina has honored coach Dawn Staley and former player A'ja Wilson with statues outside the school's basketball arena. During a Feb. 2022 appearance on ESPN College GameDay, Staley discussed the possibility of adding a statue for Aliyah Boston.

Before the Gamecocks take on Tennessee at a sold-out Colonial Life Arena, Staley joined Carolyn Peck and other panelists on the set. Peck asked Staley about the statue and whether she would need to make room for another one, alluding to the impressive career of Boston.

"Listen, there was no talk of a statue before A'ja Wilson got here," Staley said (at 1:11). "But now we're going to have to make room for statues because we got a lot of players."

"I know Aliyah Boston is pretty darn good, but we got people coming in the ranks that will be most deserving of a statue. But for right now, A'ja is alone. Let Aliyah continue to work her magic out there on the floor."

In Jan. 2021, it was announced that Wilson would be the first South Carolina basketball player to have a statue built for her. She had led the Gamecocks to their first NCAA national championship.

Boston, a junior forward during the 2021-22 season, was equally dominant and led the Gamecocks to their second national title under Dawn Staley. She averaged 16.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game that season, winning the Naismith College Player of the Year honor.

Dawn Staley shared a heartwarming moment with Aliyah Boston after South Carolina advanced to NCAA final

During the 2024 NCAA Tournament last April, Dawn Staley shared an emotional moment with former Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston after South Carolina defeated NC State to advance to the national championship game.

Boston, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA draft, joined ESPN's broadcasting crew for the network's coverage of the Final Four games. She interviewed Staley on the court after South Carolina's 78-59 victory.

In support of Boston, Staley expressed her desire for her team to win the national title since she missed out on it her senior season by losing to Iowa in the Final Four.

"We're excited this is the place we want it to be. We want to do it for you. We want to really take care of Sunday for you," Dawn Staley told Boston. "You gave basketball everything you had ... so hopefully we can win it for you."

South Carolina was able to win the national championship, defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75 and completing their revenge.