The South Carolina Gamecocks are one of the most reputable Women’s College Basketball Programs in the United States. And they have taken another step towards maintaining their stature after beating fellow powerhouses in the pursuit of 5-star recruit Jerzy Robinson.
Jerzy has opted to sign with South Carolina over other top programs like the UCLA Bruins, the UConn Huskies, and the LSU Tigers, with almost every highly rated Women’s College Basketball team eyeing the 17-year-old. And the Sierra Canyon High School star has credited South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley for shaping her decision to join the Gamecocks.
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The latest South Carolina recruit highlighted how the program made her feel cared for and loved during her visit, which shaped her decision. Jerzy said,” I think from the jump, it was great. I got in at around midnight. The whole coaching staff showed up. Dawn, [assistant coach Wendale Farrow], everybody showed up. That stood out to me just from other visits. It was surprising, it’s midnight. … It was by far my best visit.”
The 17-year-old had a thoroughly enjoyable experience during the visit, which featured spending time with the team and watching the football team play, among many other things. Jerzy and Staley’s connection actually goes a few years back, when the youngster was taken aback by the ease with which the conversation flowed while talking on the phone for the first time with a coach as coveted as Dawn Staley.
Jerzy’s commitment to South Carolina is almost a coup for the Gamecocks. The 17-year-old is a former MVP at the under-17 World Cup and was part of the United States under-19 World Cup team that won the Gold Medal recently.
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While the Gamecocks are not a historic program in Women’s College Basketball, Jerzy has placed her future in safe hands. Dawn Staley has overseen a complete transformation of South Carolina’s Women’s College Basketball program, making it one of the most coveted programs in the current era.
Under Staley, the Gamecocks have won the NCAAW Tournament three times and have become regular favorites to win the Southeastern Conference. Staley has overseen the rise of A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA, and Jerzy will hope to follow in their footsteps in the future.
Dawn Staley could hand a certain freshman an important debut
The fans of the South Carolina Gamecocks have been waiting anxiously to see how good their French recruit, Alicia Tournebize, is. And while there were hopes of seeing her make her debut against Georgia, the 18-year-old did not feature in the comfortable win over the Lady Bulldogs.
NCAA, College League, USA Womens Basketball: Georgia at South Carolina Jan 11, 2026 Columbia, South Carolina, USA South Carolina Gamecocks forward Alicia Tournebize 31 practices before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Colonial Life Arena. Tournebize recently joined the team from France. Columbia Colonial Life Arena South Carolina USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeffxBlakex 20260111_sns_ay3_00049
However, Dawn Staley provided an update that Alicia Tournebize might just be ready to make her debut, and the match against Texas on Thursday could be the one where the 18-year-old takes to the court. While Staley has reiterated before that the French recruit will be eased into the rotation, just like all other players, Alicia’s case is unique.
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The 18-year-old has professional experience from her time in France, and the South Carolina Gamecocks are reeling from a bout of underperformance as far as the bench numbers are concerned. As the fourth-seeded Texas come pay a visit, Alicia could be the perfect surprise to throw at the Longhorns.
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