Three former Gamecock women’s basketball players will suit up on July 20 and participate in the WNBA All-Star game.

The league recently announced the 12 players selected to Team WNBA who will face Team USA in an exhibition six days before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Former Gamecocks Aliyah Boston and Allisha Gray are part of Team WNBA, while A’ja Wilson will represent her country as a member of Team USA.

Wilson is on pace to have a career-best year with the Las Vegas Aces and is the overwhelming favorite to win her third WNBA MVP, according to multiple sportsbooks. She is averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals per game, all of which are career-highs.

The seven-year veteran is leading the WNBA in points and blocks and is second in rebounds behind Chicago’s Angel Reese. She became the Aces’ all-time leading scorer on July 7 after recording her 4,301st point in a game against the Dallas Wings.

“This city welcomed me in 2018, new city, new franchise, new everything, and they took a chance on a kid,” Wilson said in her postgame press conference. “To get it at home in front of fans that literally watched us when we didn’t make the postseason, to watch us win one, to watch us win another, and now compete for another, it’s truly special.”

Wilson will pause her title aspirations to compete for gold with Team USA. She is making her second Olympic appearance after being a member of the team that won gold in the Tokyo 2020 games. She was also part of two FIBA World Cup teams, winning MVP in 2022.

The Olympic team and Team WNBA play in the All-Star game to help Team USA prepare for the world stage. While Wilson would rather rest, she acknowledged it will be a fun experience and an audience spectacle.

“To be fully transparent here, I wish we could just rest and go to Paris, but we can’t, obviously we owe the fans that,” Wilson said. “But we’re going to have fun with it at the same time. We know that this is going to be a game that all eyes will be watching us.”

Team WNBA will feature two former Gamecocks who are both making their second All-Star appearances in consecutive years. Boston and Gray both earned a spot on the team in 2023 and will be back at All-Star weekend in 2024 after receiving enough votes.

The selection process for this year’s event was unlike previous years due to the Olympic games. Fan votes accounted for 50% of the vote, while the other half was split between current WNBA players and the media. Any top 10 vote-getter who was also not on the Olympic roster got an automatic spot on Team WNBA, while the next 36 highest players were pooled together where the assistant coaches filled the rest of the roster.

“I think it’s going to be a lot more serious than it was last year,” Boston said. “I feel like it’s probably going to be up a notch a little bit, but I’m excited. I think it’s going to be a great game.”

Gray was one of the eight players selected by the coaches and is averaging 15 points, four rebounds and two assists with the Atlanta Dream this season. She is an eight-year veteran and is in her second All-Star game after elevating her skills since joining Atlanta.

“Coming to Atlanta, I always say, is the best thing that happened to my career,” Gray said. “I just feel free and [Coach Wright] just allows me to play and be free and have fun on the court.”

Boston got an automatic placement on the team after finishing in second in the vote. She is having a solid second season, averaging 13 points and eight rebounds for the Indiana Fever.

“Being an All-Star, it’s just a blessing,” Boston said during a July 5 media availability. “I’m thankful to the fans that continue to watch, continue to vote because it’s exciting. I’m really happy for Kelsey and Caitlin, that’s awesome for them as well.” 

Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark are teammates with Boston in Indiana. Boston and Clark were the league’s highest vote-getters, combining for over 1.3 million votes. The two highest vote-getters in 2023 combined for 183,446.

“It just shows people continue to watch the game, and they continue to find new players they love,” Boston said.

The 2024 WNBA All-Star weekend is set to begin July 19 with a three-point contest and skills challenge. The All-Star game is July 20 at 8:30 p.m. in Phoenix, Ariz. The game will be broadcast on ABC.