Aliyah Boston has been the talk of the town recently! From making an appearance at her former college game to having her future predicted by Dawn Staley, who forecasted she’s “on her way to MVP!” Also, after South Carolina’s matchup against the USC Trojans, the coach revealed that Boston would be “around next week,” hinting that the current Gamecocks could learn a lot from her transition from college to the pros. But the biggest update came straight from Boston.

When Candace Parker brought up Staley’s comments in the latest episode of Post Moves with Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston, the Fever star revealed, “I’m just going to be training down there. Coach (Staley) was like, “Oh, you gonna work out with us?” I don’t know about all that. You know, I am going to be a mental supporter. Go team!” 

Aliyah Boston’s return to Columbia naturally stirs nostalgia, especially considering the legacy she left behind. During her time with the Gamecocks, Boston became one of the most decorated players in program history, a national champion (2022), a multi-time All-American, and the engine behind South Carolina’s dominant era under Staley.

During that 2022 title run, she was the standout for South Carolina. She basically swept the major awards: NCAA Tournament MOP, AP Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year, and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. With that résumé, she naturally carries weight in the locker room, and being a leader is part of what comes with it. According to the most experienced player on the Gamecocks’ roster, she’s already one, whether she’s courtside cheering or not.

After South Carolina’s 69–52 win over USC, Raven Johnson was asked about taking on more leadership this season and how she’s grown into it. She explained that former South Carolina players helped prepare her for this moment, and Aliyah Boston, now with the Fever, was one of the biggest influences.

“It started with the people before me,” Johnson told reporters. “I’d say Aliyah Boston, [Destanni Henderson], Zia Cooke, they showed me a lot of things, what was the standard here. So, I know what the standard is, and I know what it takes to get to Final Fours.”

Now, as Boston heads back to where it all began again, even if it’s just as a ‘mental supporter,’ her presence alone carries weight and can give her former team the much-needed boost they are looking for in the 2025-26 NCAA season. But that’s not all on her off-season plans!

Aliyah Boston opens up on the “weird” part of her offseason grind

The former No. 1 pick is also gearing up for another run in Unrivaled, which is all set to kick off on January 5. And for Boston, that setup always brings one unexpected challenge: facing her own teammates. Four players from the Indiana Fever roster will be taking part in the 2026 tournament, including Boston, Lexie Hull, Aari McDonald, and Kelsey Mitchell.

Last season, only Hull and Boston took part in Unrivaled, where Boston played for the Vinyl BC and Hull played for the Rose BC. Now, as she gears up to face her teammates again, in a recent episode of Post Moves, Boston opened up about her experience.

“It’s always weird playing against the teammates in Unrivaled. Like, last year, when Lexie and I played each other, we’re running down the court, and we’re like chuckling. So that was the funny part,” she said.

Boston will face Aari McDonald on opening night, while her next matchup against Hull comes later in January, and fans are eager to see the games where teammates become enemies. Enemies, not really, but you get the point.