Dawn Staley asks for prayers for former South Carolina players stranded in Israel 'war zone'

This weekend’s growing conflict in the Middle East between Iran and the joint forces of the U.S. and Israel has already created plenty of turmoil worldwide. That includes within the sports world.

Along with the Iran soccer federation reconsidering its participation in this summer’s FIFA World Cup in America, dozens of professional athletes currently playing overseas have found themselves caught up in the chaos created by the exchange of firepower taking place between Israel and Iran.

That includes a trio of former South Carolina women’s basketball players stranded in Israel unable to leave due to airspace closures throughout the Middle East after Iran responded to Saturday’s joint strikes by Israel and the U.S. by firing on multiple U.S. bases in that part of the world.

Gamecocks head women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley asked for prayers for the safe return of former players Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, Destiny Littleton and Tiffany Mitchell in a Feb. 28 tweet, revealing they were trapped “in a war zone in Israel!!” Littlejohn later posted several short videos updating her status as air-raid sirens blared throughout a “deserted” Jerusalem, warning of potential Iranian missile strikes.

Update : I’m safe pic.twitter.com/OioW4Auyfu

— Destiny Littleton (@dstnylttltn24) February 28, 2026

“The sirens are just getting louder and louder, I’m walking down to the safe room now, … Oh shit! Oh shit! Where is it?” Littlejohn said in one video as explosions could be heard in the distance.

In another video, Littlejohn revealed she was headed to a teammate’s home in another part of Jerusalem that had a more secure bomb shelter, because the one she was in wasn’t cutting it.

“I’ll feel way more comfortable, because that B-O-M-B shelter that I was just in could fit like five people, and that was it,” Littlejohn said. “I’m like, ‘No, no, no, I don’t want to be here.’ So I’m going to go home, pack up all my stuff and go there when it’s safe to do so.”

Littlejohn later posted an “I’m safe” caption over a video of an explosion that took place in another part of Jerusalem late Sunday evening.

In her initial X/Twitter post, Staley said they are attempting to secure travel arraignments for all her former players currently stranded overseas. Of course, with most air travel heavily restricted throughout the Middle East, that’s a difficult prospect given the current state of affairs.

And the South Carolina alums aren’t alone in their desire to flee the budding war in the Middle East.