South Carolina basketball star Aliyah Boston 'hurt' by ESPYs exclusion, declines invitation

Had Aliyah Boston won the ESPY for Best College Athlete, Women's Sports she wouldn't be in attendance in Los Angeles Wednesday night to accept it.

The South Carolina women's basketball star and reigning National Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year broke her silence Wednesday after her coach Dawn Staley openly criticized ESPN for not inviting Boston to the ceremony.

"To be nominated for an ESPY this year meant the world to me and my family," Boston said in a statement on her Twitter page. "While it hurt finding out that they wouldn't be televising the category despite it being televised last year and had no intentions for me to attend. ... It hurt more to see ESPN change course and invite me only after social media caught wind of it."

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Staley called out ESPN on Monday, saying that "something was wrong with the makeup" of those who made the decision to not invite Boston, and it was "disrespectful" to women's college basketball's top player for the 2021-22 season.

Her tweet sparked outrage on social media, ESPN then backtracked and invited Boston to LA to be in attendance for the ESPYs on Wednesday.

"Respectfully, I declined," Boston said.

Oklahoma softball star Jocelyn Alo was announced as the winner of the award Tuesday night. The presentation of the award won't be aired during the telecast, and to Boston and Staley, there in lies the bigger issue.

"I'm used to this. It's just another moment when the disrespect and erasure of Black women is brushed off as a 'mistake' or an 'oversight.' " Boston said. "Another excuse for why our milestones and accomplishments aren't a 'priority' this time, even now, 50 years after Title IX.

"To every Black girl and every Black women: no one can take away what God has in store for us. You matter. You are valuable. You are a priority. You are seen, and you are LOVED – don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

ESPN televised last year's category when UConn's Paige Bueckers won the award.

Bueckers was in attendance in 2021 to receiver her award and many online have mentioned that.

Boston recorded an SEC-record streak of 27 consecutive double-doubles en route to averaging 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game during her junior campaign that led to the "Best College Athlete, Women's Sports" ESPY nomination.

During the 2021-22 season on numerous occasions, Staley felt it necessary to publicly campaign for Boston to win the national player of the year award, despite her clearly being the best player in women's college basketball.

Staley said for a player of Boston's caliber, the air time wasn't at the level that it had for similar players in the past.

ESPN used a shot of Boston crying after she missed a point-blank putback as time expired against Stanford in the 2021 Final Four as part of its lead-ins to segments and specials for much of the 2021-22 season.

Because of that, all preseason and season long, Staley talked about turning Boston's tears into happy tears.

Boston helped guide South Carolina to a 36-2 overall record and to its second national championship, beating UConn, 64-49, in Minneapolis, where she earned the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award and was the game's MVP.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina's Aliyah Boston 'hurt' by ESPYs exclusion, declines invitation