Dawn Staley continues to offer a guiding hand to basketball star Aliyah Boston.

The pair first teamed up at The University of South Carolina. Staley serves as the school’s head coach of women’s basketball and is currently signed to a historic seven-year contract that has made her the highest-paid head coach in NCAA Women’s Basketball, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Boston played under Staley’s leadership from 2019 to 2023. Together, they won one national titles against the University of Connecticut in 2022, notes NBC-10 Philadelphia.

Boston’s collegiate career would position her as the school’s all-time leader in overall rebounds, offensive and defensive rebounds, blocked shots in SEC games, double-doubles, and triple-doubles, among others, according to the WNBA. She is also a four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, two-time National Player of the Year, and two-time SEC Player of the Year.

Throughout it all, Staley has remained front and center as a fan even as Boston ventured into the WNBA as the 2023 No. 1 draft pick selected by the Indiana Fever.

“Coach Staley has honestly been a second mom to me since I stepped foot at South Carolina,” Boston told AFROTECH™ during a virtual press conference on Jan. 7, 2025. “I still talk to her all the time, about anything. I feel like that’s what makes her so special.”

While the iconic duo are currently separated on the court, they have reunited once again through their roles in rising women’s sports league Unrivaled, which plays a 3-on-3 basketball game and features six teams with 36 players.

Boston currently plays with the Vinyl basketball club alongside Dearica Hamby, Jordin Canada, Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard, and Rae Burrell.

Staley is among the investors in Unrivaled, which has raised at least $35 million to date, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.

“For her to be an investor, I think it just shows how much she truly wants to continue to invest in women’s sports because she knows exactly where this can go, and she sees the talent,” Boston said during the press conference. “So, it’s always amazing just having her as a coach, as a mentor, definitely as an investor in something like this.”