DALLAS — South Carolina women's basketball star Aliyah Boston will not use her final year of NCAA eligibility, announcing Saturday that she is declaring for the 2023 WNBA Draft.

Boston made her decision less than 24 hours after the No. 1 Gamecocks (36-1) suffered their first and only loss of the season 77-73 to Iowa in the Final Four on Friday at American Airlines Center. She finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, a block and two steals in her final collegiate game.

"When I first arrived on campus on that warm day in May of 2019, I had no idea what to expect as a 17-year-old. Four years later, I can honestly say this was the best first decision of my life," Boston wrote in a statement posted to social media. "In this moment, I am truly breathless as I make the next best decision of my life. I have decided to further pursue my dream by declaring for the 2023 WNBA Draft.

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The 6-foot-5 forwards leaves South Carolina as one of the most decorated players in program history. She won Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and also swept the National Player of the Year awards last season. She led the Gamecocks to three consecutive Final Four appearances, including the 2022 NCAA championship.

Boston also holds dozens of program records, breaking career records this season for double-doubles and rebounds that had stood since 1982. She was named SEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and earned her fourth Lisa Leslie Center of the Year award, becoming the first player ever to win it every year of their career.

In 2023, Boston averaged 13 points, 9.8 rebounds and two blocks per game. She is universally projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, which belongs to the Indiana Fever. Former teammate Destanni Henderson, the point guard of the Gamecocks' 2022 championship squad, was also drafted by the Fever last year.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Aliyah Boston declares for 2023 WNBA Draft, forgoing NCAA eligibility