COLUMBIA — Alicia Tournebize has now played two games for South Carolina women’s basketball.
The 6-foot-7 freshman forward from France and the No. 2 Gamecocks (19-1, 5-0 SEC) play No. 16 Oklahoma (14-4, 2-3) in Norman on Jan. 22 (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
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Tournebize scored eight points in 13 minutes to go with a steal, a block and a rebound in the 90-48 win over Coppin State on Jan. 18 in Baltimore, Maryland. She made her debut on Jan. 15 in the 68-65 win over Texas but had no stats in five minutes.
“I like that she’s unafraid,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said about Tournebize on Jan. 21. “She may not know everything that’s going on out there, but she’s willing to be out there, she’s unafraid. Her number’s called, she is popping up and wants to get in the basketball game.”
What Dawn Staley said about Alicia Tournebize
Tournebize played professional basketball in France without any previous college experience. She’s 18 and signed with South Carolina in late December. She arrived on Jan. 1 and once paperwork was sorted out, began practicing.
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She sat on the bench for three games before making her debut during the top-5 matchup against Texas.
“I don’t know if we’re gonna get the true test of what she is going to become in this short period of time but we’ll try,” Staley said. “We know she’s got a soft touch. We know she’s unafraid. I mean, that’s half the battle.”
Staley has explained that Tournebize’s lack of minutes for Tango Bourges Basket was her being on the younger end of the professional roster. She did score 12 points in 12 minutes in her first game for the club this season.
For the FIBA U18 EuroBasket team, she averaged a team-high 12 points and 8.9 rebounds.
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“She’s ready, I mean everything that she talked about during the recruiting process, everything her parents want for her is, is right here,” Staley said. “I do think she’s comfortable. I think our players have done a great job with just getting her acclimated, making sure she has what she needs, and she feels the comfort of being a part of our team.”
On the basketball side, practices are much better because she’s getting acclimated to things, Staley said.
“I do think she really understands basketball, and I do think we can probably get a little bit better with our high-low and our ability to shoot on the perimeter from that position, just got to get her continue to get it acclimated,” Staley said.
How South Carolina’s 2026-27 roster could look
Tournebize will have three seasons of eligibility remaining after this season.
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Chloe Kitts tore her ACL and can return given she missed this entire season but hasn’t formally declared that decision. She could also try to go to the WNBA.
Madina Okot, the 6-foot-6 center who transferred in from Mississippi State, will have to try to get more eligibility from the NCAA to play next year but that’s also unconfirmed. She’s listed as a senior.
Reserve forward Maryam Dauda is out of eligibility next season. South Carolina’s Class of 2026 includes two forwards.
“We’ll keep throwing her in it,” Staley said of Tournebize. “She’ll keep getting the opportunity to play. So I do think she can move the needle for us at some point.”
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Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Dawn Staley evaluated Alicia Tournebize in 2 South Carolina games
