Olivia Thompson happy for teammates, shares what's next for her
On a historic night that witnessed five South Carolina Gamecocks selected in the WNBA Draft, over 700 miles away Olivia Thompson watched with a smile. A smile for a group of women who she’ll be forever connected to. Especially the four known as ‘The Freshies’ who were drafted.
“It’s surreal. Just to say that I was friends with them, I was teammates with them, it’s just amazing,” said Thompson. “I feel so special and I’m so grateful for these fours years and everything that we’ve been through. I can’t wait to see them flourish in the WNBA.”
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Thompson arrived at South Carolina in 2019 as a walk-on after shining at nearby Lexington High School. The other four players that were in her recruiting class were Aliyah Boston, Laeticia Amihere, Zia Cooke and Brea Beal. All four of those players were selected in the first two rounds of Monday night’s WNBA Draft. Victaria Saxton, who arrived in 2018, was drafted with the first pick of the third round. In all, five Gamecocks were drafted. This marks just the fourth time that five players from the same college were selected in the same draft class.
“It just shows that we have dominant players. We have a dominant program, amazing coaches with amazing players who work hard. They work so hard and they have amazing drive and grit. That gets them to the next level and makes them successful there.”
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With her time at South Carolina coming to an end, Thompson is ready to begin a new chapter. One that involves being able to explore outside of a state she’s lived in her entire life.
“I’m gonna live some life a little bit. I’m gonna travel this summer and I’m just gonna enjoy myself. It’s gonna be fun to cheer on my teammates that are now in the WNBA so I’m definitely gonna watch some of those games and hopefully I’ll be able to attend some. I’d love to stay connected to the Gamecocks, somehow. But in the meantime, I’m gonna enjoy my time.”
