The South Carolina Gamecocks have secured the semifinals ticket, and amidst that, Alicia Tournebize had a few things to say about HC, Dawn Staley.

The Gamecocks beat Kentucky in an 87-64 upset on March 6, and among the big stats put up by the Gamecocks’ starters, Tournebize’s 3 points and 2 rebounds got buried. However, it was still her SEC debut, and having played for 14 minutes, the French player shared her honest take on the coach.

“It’s great, I’ve learned lots from this team and thanks to her [Staley]”, said Tournebize. “I’m really grateful. I’m so happy. The team, I think we can go far, we have big goals. I think we’re on the right way.”

The 6’7 Freshman arrived at Columbia on New Year's Day, after signing with the Gamecocks on Dec 22. She didn’t play until Jan 15 and has been averaging 4.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.3 assists after that. While her numbers don’t draw massive attention just yet, a career-high 9 points and 3 rebounds vs. Oklahoma mapped her potential.

She’s currently averaging 11.9 minutes on the hardwood, which is better than many other freshmen. Though her minutes may reduce as the team dives deeper into the competition, Tournebize’s gratefulness towards her remains the same.

The Team Fostered Alicia Tournebize’s Growth

Coming to a new country, tackling mid-season in a national powerhouse like South Carolina was certainly not easy. And in her journey, Alicia had relied on her team as much as coach Staley. Specifically, the Gamecocks’ seniors.

“When I got here, everybody was helping me, and I could reach out to everybody if I needed,” Tournebize said. “Raven … Ta’Niya too. Madina helped me too because she knows how it’s like to come from another country and stuff. The seniors — Maryam, too. Maryam helped me a lot.”

Even though she was caught up in the mid-season, it was not a big pressure. Tournebize needed “a little bit of adjustment because it was a new team”, but ultimately it was a “good opportunity” for her.  

While Coach Staley got Tournebize comfortable on the hardwood, the team members’ support helped build up her confidence that was needed to put up a game in NCAA level.

Although her best is probably yet to come, what do you think it might look like? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy