After leaving the game in the second quarter of South Carolina's 85-38 win over Hampton on Sunday, South Carolina women's basketball superstar Aliyah Boston is "a game-time decision" to play tomorrow night when the No. 1 Gamecocks host No. 15 UCLA.
"She feels a lot better than she did yesterday," head coach Dawn Staley said. "I think for the most part it scared her. She's a game-time decision, though."
Boston went down hard on a drive to the rim against the Pirates and immedietely went down the tunnel with 39 seconds remaining in the first half. She did not come out with the team to start the second half, and re-appeared on the bench in the third quarter with a walking boot on her right foot. She did not play the rest of the game and was not wearing the boot during the open portion of the team's Monday afternoon practice, which Staley said she did not participate fully in.
As for how South Carolina will respond without the reigning National Player of the Year, Sunday showed a glimpse of the team's depth. South Carolina's bench scored 65 of the 85 points, including a career high 14 points from Bree Hall.
"Everybody is ready to step up," Staley said. "We understand what she means to our program and what she's been to our program. To lose her would be a big void, but we've got a lot of bigs that can fill in and contribute in other ways. We're not freting anything if she can't play."
Tip-off against the Bruins is set for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.