Top 5 basketball superstars Dawn Staley produced in her career ft. Aliyah Boston
Fresh off her third national championship, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley is one of the superstars of her sport. In a decade and a half, Staley had taken South Carolina from also-ran to powerhouse. Of course, she certainly hasn't done it alone. The Gamecocks have had plenty of legendary stars.
Here are the top five players Staley has coached to stardom:
Top 5 basketball superstars Dawn Staley has coached
5. Tyasha Harris
A 5-foot-10 guard, Harris is the type of player who coaches love to have on their team. She had offensive and defensive talent and spent much of her four seasons working toward team goals rather than individual ones.
In four years under Staley, Harris won a national title, was an SEC All-Freshman pick, and later became an All-American. She scored 1,340 points and dished out 702 assists. Harris might have been at her best in her senior season, but the COVID-19 pandemic robbed her of a final NCAA Tournament appearance.
4. Kamilla Cardoso
Recency bias aside, Cardoso, who just finished leading Carolina to the school's third NCAA crown, was a fine player under Dawn Staley. She opened her college career at Syracuse but then transferred to South Carolina. Cardoso came off the bench for two seasons before leading Carolina in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots as a senior.
Cardoso scored 1,001 points and grabbed 791 rebounds at Carolina, as well as blocking 198 shots. She was part of two national championship teams and was time chosen All-SEC. She had double-doubles in both Final Four games, with 22 points and 11 boards against NC State and 15 points and 17 rebounds against Iowa.
3. Tiffany Mitchell
Mitchell was a three-time All-American selection under Staley. The 5-foot-9 guard helped Carolina reach its first-ever Final Four. A two-time SEC Player of the Year, Mitchell also earned All-Defense honors in one season.
In her USC career, Mitchell finished with 1,885 points, 570 rebounds, and 357 assists. Mitchell also had 234 career steals. After her Carolina days, Mithcell has gone on to have a solid WNBA career. She is still active and has averaged 9.2 points per game for her pro career.
2. A'ja Wilson
One of the great stars of the modern era, the 6-foot-5 Wilson will likely always be associated with Dawn Staley. A four-time AP All-American pick, Wilson led Carolina to its first NCAA crown in 2017. A true post-superstar, Wilson took Carolina from a good team to a great one.
Wilson remains Carolina's all-time leading scorer (2,389 points) and shot blocker (363 blocks). She's third on the program's all-time rebounding list with 1,195 boards. After South Carolina, Wilson has been a WNBA superstar. Chosen first in the 2018 draft, she has been a five-time All-Star and a two-time MVP.
1. Aliyah Boston
Another four-time AP All-American choice, Aliyah Boston was a dominant player for four seasons at Carolina. She led USC to its second national title in 2022 and was a freshman on the outstanding 2020 team that didn't get an NCAA Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 6-foot-5 Boston finished her career as Carolina's third-leading scorer (1,942 points), top rebounder (1,493 boards), and second-leading shot blocker (330). Like Wilson, she had double-doubles in both games of her successful Final Four trip. A top pick in the WNBA Draft, Boston has been an All-Star in her lone pro season.
Which legendary student of coach Dawn Staley will end up being the best? We'd love to hear from you below in our comments section!