South Carolina women's basketball star and 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston will join ESPN's studio crew for the NCAA Women's Final Four, which includes the undefeated Gamecocks vs NC State on Friday night.

Boston will join Elle Duncan, Carolyn Peck, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike at the desk live from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

“It is a dream to be a part of such a special weekend and I’m so glad that God has opened this door for me. I could not be happier to join this incredible team,” Boston said in a press release. “As a player there was no bigger thrill than the Final Four. I’m really excited to return, share my experience, and shine a light on the amazing players we’ll see take the court in Cleveland.”

Boston and the rest of Dawn Staley's South Carolina team won the national championship in 2022 and made the Final Four last year. Boston was drafted by the Indiana Fever as the No.1 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. She was unanimously voted Rookie of the Year.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome such a legend to our set,” said Sara Gaiero, ESPN’s vice president of production. “Aliyah will bring great energy to our already stellar crew, and we cannot wait to watch what she brings to our coverage as someone who won the national championship just two years ago.”

Staley tweeted at Boston following the news.

No. 1 South Carolina (36-0) faces No. 3 NC State (31-6) on Friday at 7 p.m. for the first of two Final Four matchups ahead of the Iowa-UConn game. NCAA Final Four coverage begins at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

More: South Carolina women's basketball vs NC State prediction in Final Four: Who advances to NCAA championship?

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Aliyah Boston: WNBA, South Carolina star joins ESPN Final Four team