South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley built her best gamecock player. NCAA.com gave Staley 10 different categories on the court to choose Gamecock players she trained in her 12 years in South Carolina.
Here’s what Dawn Staley had to say about each category:
The quarterback
“Ty Harris. I think when you won a national championship as a freshman and your game continues to improve with a different core of players, probably every year you played, but you were still the captain of the ship that made it all went well. And I think she would end her career with another national championship that was interrupted due to COVID. ”
Ty Harris, Guarda (2016-2020)
- Ty Harris has accumulated 1,340 career points (2016-17 to 2019-20)
- Average of 9.6 points per game, 5.1 assists per game, kick 79.2% of the free-throw line, 38.4% of the 3-point line
- Led the team to No. 1 during the 2019-20 season
- Helped Gamecocks win the 2017 NCAA title, Elite Eight 2018 and Sweet Sixteen 2019
- Three-time SEC champion
- 1st place in the list of career assistants in South Carolina (702)
- 1st place in the proportion of assistances / turnover in South Carolina’s career (2.55)
- Led the SEC in general assists and 12th in the NCAA his senior season
The Bucket-getter
“I’m going to have to go with Tiffany Mitchell. Tiffany Mitchell was the one we called her on several times, and she was part of the first team that led us to our first Final Four in South Carolina.”
Tiffany Mitchell, guard (2012-2016)
- Tiffany Mitchell scored 1,885 career points (2012-13 to 2015-16)
- On average 13.6 ppg, shooting 39.9% of the 3-point line and 77.3% of the free-throw line
- 2nd place in career, percentage of 3-point goals in a career in the program’s history
- 2nd place in the percentage of free throw in a career
- Ranked seventh in the SEC scoring its senior season
The Lockdown Defender
“I’m going to make some of my players angry with me, but I’m going to have to go with Khadijah Sessions. She was a point guard that it didn’t matter if it was training, it didn’t matter if it was a game, it didn’t matter if it was a pick-up. She always brought that defensive mentality. She would stop any of her opponents who faced her, so I have to give it to her. “
Sessions Khadijah, Guarda (2012-2016)
- Khadijah Sessions took fourth place in SEC thefts in league play and was fifth overall in his senior season
- Led South Carolina to steal his junior and senior seasons
- Ended with 187 thefts of his career
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The Clutch Gene
“A’ja Wilson is probably the Clutch Gene, as you can see what she did for South Carolina. She took us to two Final Fours, gave us a national championship, she went to Rookie of the Year at WNBA, she is now the MVP. A’ja Wilson. ”
A’ja Wilson, Forward (2014-2018)
- 17.3 points average and 8.7 rebounds when shooting 55% of the field and blocking 363 shots in his career
- A’ja Wilson was the best national player of the year in the 2018 Consensus
- Wood Award, 2018
- Naismith Trophy Winner, 2018
- Wade trophy winner, 2018
- SEC Player of the Year (2016-18)
- Twice SEC tournament MVP (2017 and 2018)
- NCAA Final Four Best Player of 2017
- SEC Freshman of the year 2014
The heart
“Oooh. I’m going to have to say … wow. I have to go back to the Khadijah sessions. That’s what she brought to our program every day of the week. Every day. Even today, if we have something that’s going on , she will stop what she is doing and she will come. She comes to practice from time to time, and trains with us and increases the level of our game and practice. ”
Sessions Khadijah, Guarda (2012-2016)
- Sessions was named team captain in her senior year
- 5.9 ppg average, 2.2 assists and 65% kick from the free throw line
- Led South Carolina to three SEC regular season championships
THE IQ
“I’m going with a young braggart. I’m going with Brea Beal. Brea Beal is very smart, she plays both sides of the ball extremely well. I just think her roof is off the charts when it comes to understanding and getting to know basketball.”
Brea Beal, second year guard (2019 – present)
- Beal averaged 6.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 27 steals in his freshman season
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The Athletic Wonder
“Zia Cooke. It’s just the tip of the iceberg of what she was able to do in her first year. But in the future, she has all the skills to be a bucket hunter, the heart, everything. Zia is probably the most athletic that I trained. “
Zia Cooke, Second Year Guard (2019 – current)
- Cooke averaged 12 points, 35.7% of the 3-point line, 71.2% of the free-throw line and had 36 steals and 61 assists in his freshman season
The shooter
“That’s probably the only thing we didn’t have in South Carolina. Just the knockout sniper. I’m going to tell A’ja Wilson, because there is evidence in the numbers. She was a sniper with more than 50 percent of us. I know some these are layups, but a lot of them are medium. Not 3s, we’re trying to get her to work on that part of the game. “
A’ja Wilson, Forward (2014-2018)
- Wilson is the first in the program’s history in career points (2,389), blocked kicks (363) and free throws made (597)
- Wilson ranks second in the program’s history in career field goals scored (893) and doubles (54)
The glue
“I will say that the glue is Victaria Saxton. She is an anonymous heroine. Obviously, if ‘V’ was a 30-minute player for us, you would see her stats come off the charts, but because she played with some great players when we called for her number, she helped us on and off the court. ”
Victaria Saxton, Junior Forward (2018 – current)
- Saxton averages 4.8 points, 3.5 rebounds in his first two seasons, while kicking 57.1% of the field and blocking 78 shots and making 43 teals
The Dirty Worker
“I’m going to have to give this to Lele Grissett. I say that, because we changed her from a post player to a guard, but her impact no matter where she is on the ground, she manages to steal early, she is always on the offensive boards .Whenever we call her number if we are losing 10, there are three minutes left in the game, she is the first person I call to go there and be a woman’s press. Lele. ”
Lele Grissett, senior guard / striker (2017 – current)
- Grissett averaged 4.7 points, 3.8 rebounds in his first three seasons
- Grissett hit 62.6% in his junior season, setting a career record of 6.4 points per game
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