Momentum Shift: Aliyah Boston
Why Aliyah Boston could be pivotal in growing women's basketball in the Caribbean
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The Caribbean is known for many things: nice beaches, tropical sunshine, and beautiful sounds. When it comes to women’s basketball there have been ballers from the islands like Sancho Lyttle and Sophia Young-Malcolm (each from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Jonquel Jones (the Bahamas - the first Caribbean-born WNBA MVP), and the late Simone Edwards (Jamaica). However, the Caribbean isn’t a region many associate with basketball.
There could be a shift on the horizon.
In addition to Jonquel Jones’ blockbuster trade to New York in the offseason, Aliyah Boston became the first Caribbean-born No. 1 pick in league history.
Why is that indicative of a shift? Visibility and representation.
Seeing is believing. Boston is an example of a Caribbean-born woman who has achieved enormous success in basketball. For girls just starting out in the sport, they have living proof that not only can they “make it”, but they can reach the game’s highest levels. They will have a role model with similar upbringings and backgrounds to whom they can relate.
Boston cemented a legacy in the college ranks unlike most. Here are just some of the accolades Boston garnered during her tenure with the South Carolina Gamecocks:
- National Champion
- Naismith College Player of the Year
- Two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year
- Wooden Award for Most Outstanding Women’s Player
- Four-time Lisa Leslie Award Winner (given to the best center in collegiate basketball)
- Three-time unanimous first-team All-American
Boston was selected number one overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2023 WNBA Draft. So far in the preseason, she has shown flashes of what will be a successful career in the W.
I had the opportunity to speak with Aliyah Boston about her life in the USVI, lessons learned, and more.
Life in the USVI and lessons learned
Boston hails from St. Thomas in the USVI. After sharing some of my family’s background with her, I learned that we shared a similar trait. Her father, Al, was born in Dominica, where my maternal great-grandparents were also born. Boston went on to mention that she, her sister, and her mother were born in the USVI. For those with Caribbean heritage, it is not uncommon to have family from different islands. Former Prime Minister of Dominica, Eugenia Charles (the first and only female prime minister of Dominica to date) once said about the Caribbean “We are one region”.
In March 2022, ESPN released a feature video on Boston that profiled her life in the USVI. The feature noted that Boston’s fervor for roundball was inspired by her sister Alexis. But what was it about Alexis’ play that drew her closer to the game?
“I think that older sister effect," Boston said. “You see your sibling doing one thing and you’re like, ‘ooh, I’ll do that.’ And we’re close in age. She’s two-and-a-half years older, so we were not separated from doing a lot of things due to age.”
Given the potential for a sibling rivalry on the court, I asked Boston about some of the one-on-one battles they had on the court. She responded, “They were spicy!”
When growing up, parents try to instill ideals in you for the future. These ideals help define who you are. Especially in the Caribbean, or growing up with a Caribbean parent, virtues and ideals play a big role in early development. For Boston, the main ideal that she has carried with her is manners.
“I know that sounds kind of silly, but it’s true, every time you walk in the building in the islands it’s ‘Good Morning’, ‘Good Afternoon’, ‘Good Night’, ‘How are you doing?’ Everyone is spoken to,” Boston said. “And in the [United] States, it’s not necessarily like that. You can walk in the building, and no one will say anything and you just do what you need to do and then you can leave. But that’s not how I was raised, so I think my manners are what I have taken with me”.
As Boston said that, I instantly visualized many eyes lighting up with joy and a complete understanding. If you were raised in the Caribbean, or by Caribbean parents, or even had a Caribbean teacher, everything Boston said strikes home. Manners, sometimes colloquially referred to as “broughtupsy,” are an important ideal instilled at a young age.
Another ideal, one important to the Caribbean, is a strong belief in God. Faith has played a key role in Boston’s life.
“I grew up in the Church,” she said. “So, faith until this day is still something that is super important to me, and I want to bring people closer to God.
Boston also shared how she stayed connected to her faith, even after relocating to the United States.
“When my sister and I relocated to the [United] States, our mom would make sure we hopped on the prayer service online and made sure we got to Church,” Boston said. “We’ve carried that on since we arrived in the States, and it hasn’t changed since.”
Strong faith and manners are great ideals that speak to Boston’s character. But when it comes to the blacktop, sometimes you need to have an edge. For Boston, that edge is her physicality.
“I’ll credit that to the Virgin Islands, because that’s where I started playing, and I played against guys all the time,” Boston said.
The previously mentioned ESPN feature revealed that Boston found herself playing against boys due to the lack of girls’ leagues. Per a demographic list from the USVI, there were only 1,558 girls between the ages of five and nine on the island of St. Thomas in 2010 when Boston turned nine. Thus, playing against guys was a major part of establishing that physicality.
“There was not any time to get punked, you just had to go, especially as a post player,” Boston said. “The guys definitely don’t want to see a girl score on them.”
Now, as someone of Caribbean descent talking with someone from the islands, I would have been remiss in not asking about some favorite foods growing up.
“I’m a curry chicken girl…chicken, goat, I’m there…rice and red beans, mac and cheese,” Boston said. But what about the dessert? Coconut tart is her sweet of choice.
I mentioned that the Caribbean is known for its tropical sounds. Boston also has her own tastes when it comes to music from the islands.
“You know Calypso music is always a classic. I don’t really have a specific song, but when I’m on Pandora sometimes I’ll put on Machel Montano. I put on his music and just vibe out,” Boston said. (If you are not familiar with Montano, he is a Trinidadian-based artist who is considered amongst the greats.)
The USVI has also produced regional stars and hits. One of its popular bands from the 80s and 90s was Jam Band, a group Boston is very familiar with.
“Yeah, yeah, love it. When I was younger, we listened to it in the car,” Boston recalled.
Location, Location, Location
For athletes in the Caribbean, relocation is sometimes a must. Basketball greats like Patrick Ewing (originally from Jamaica), Jonquel Jones, and Tim Duncan (from St. Croix in the USVI) all elevated their profiles through moves to the U.S.
It is also a hard process, essentially leaving all that you know and venturing into an unknown world. Boston not only went through the process but she thrived, dominating almost every level of women’s basketball in her career thus far.
For young women in the Caribbean who may have to relocate and find their niche, Boston has sound advice.
“Don’t be afraid to step out in faith, and do what’s best for you, and make sacrifices,” she said. “My parents made a big sacrifice in having my sister and I move to Massachusetts with my aunt at such a young age, but she knew it was for a better cause. We stepped out of being on a small island and stepped onto the mainland where we have much more exposure to find out what we like, what we don’t like, how we play and stuff like that. So don’t be afraid to step out in faith.”
The word “exposure” rang out, as the lack of exposure in the Caribbean leads to a lack of opportunity, making relocation necessary. When Boston uttered “exposure,” I thought of something Boston’s mother, Cleone, said in the ESPN profile. “We want that when the world hears [Aliyah’s] story and sees where she came from, that they’re gonna know there’s so many more Aliyahs on this island,” she said.
Last year, Boston held an Under Armour-sponsored camp at The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). Coaches went down for a day to teach young players the game. Through the camp, Boston brought the exposure to the players, instead of players being brought to the exposure.
“Coaches can travel to different countries, and they will watch FIBA Cup or watch players they see potential in,” Boston said. “But what if a coach came earlier? What if they came and I never went to the [United] States?- Would they have seen what I could do?” Boston said. “It’s people with the resources trying to help those that might not have as much.”
The resources that Boston can help bring are game-changing and one of the main reasons a shift may be coming. As more camps are held, more players may be brought to the game. Also, more coaches and decision-makers will be brought to the region (some are already brought to the USVI through the annual collegiate Paradise Jam tournament held). Put that together and that yields more exposure and opportunities for players in the USVI.
But why stop there?
Coaches and recruiters are always looking for an undiscovered commodity or a pipeline for recruiting talent. If the USVI were to become a direct link for basketball prospects where top recruit lists are stocked with players from the region, it’s plausible that coaches will look to replicate the USVI’s success on other islands. Ideally, the process would repeat until you have a network of players getting opportunities and coaches looking for talent in the region.
Boston welcomes the idea of hosting another camp in the future.
“That’s definitely the goal, to bring stuff back down to the Virgin Islands,” Boston said. “I think another camp would be nice.”
Days after speaking with Boston, she announced via Twitter that she would be joining the Adidas family. It will be interesting for the region if Boston is able to host an Adidas-branded event. If it happens, St. Thomas would have been the venue of two camps sponsored by major sports apparel brands.
Keys to Development
Camps, training, and practices make young basketball players the best they can be. No one in life starts out at the top, and basketball can be discouraging when first playing.
For girls in the Caribbean starting out in basketball, Boston says to “give yourself grace, accept what comes with it (just starting out), the highs and the lows, and compete all the time”.
Life is filled with highs and lows, and competing through them is important. Sometimes having the right coach can help with that between and outside the lines. At South Carolina, Boston was under the tutelage of Dawn Staley. A five-time WNBA All-Star and Olympian, Staley has transformed the program into a national powerhouse.
Boston recently tweeted that Staley “not only sets you up to be a professional, but the best woman you can be.” As a whole, Staley has helped Boston on and off the court.
For girls in the Caribbean, they may not have a direct insight into how someone like Staley was helpful to Boston. That insight is something that they could apply at an early stage, which could help their own development in the Caribbean
“She just likes to see everyone succeed, she helps you find your voice, she helps guide you, takes it day by day and she’s very patient,” Boston said. Boston said.
What Comes Next?
Looking forward to Boston’s rookie campaign in the W, there’s an interesting early-season matchup. On May 21, the Fever head to Brooklyn to play the New York Liberty.
Per reports, Jonquel Jones is recovering from a stress fracture, but was able to register minutes in a pre-season game against Las Vegas. If both Boston and Jones are healthy and able to compete in the matchup, it will be historic for the Caribbean - the first-ever Caribbean-born WNBA Most Valuable Player competing against the first-ever Caribbean-born No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick. The fact that the matchup takes place in Brooklyn - a second home for many Caribbean immigrants and the site of the West Indian Day Parade, one of the largest Caribbean celebrations - adds to the significance of the matchup.
“I think it's good for our respective homes, just because people can look up to Jonquel, people can look up to me, and say ‘this is where I want to be,’ and ‘this is how I see my future,’” Boston said. “It’s going to be cool playing against her and she’s a really talented player.”
I think the last response was a great summation of everything discussed in our interview. We see shades of Boston’s manners (in giving Jonquel her just due as a player) and Boston highlighting how this visible matchup can inspire Caribbean women interested in the sport. It cannot be stressed enough how having someone of Boston’s stature will do wonders for the region. Her faith, character and competitive drive are intangibles that not only the league can admire, but the entire world. When the world sees where she came from, who is there, what is taught there, and the benefit of sharing it, more and more young women will have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.
Isn’t that what makes life special?
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.