South Carolina women's basketball: "Last Dance" for the 2019 recruiting class

South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC • Polls • Scholarships

“I talked to the players about, particularly, how important it was for us to really be together in this last run that we were going to have, so I called it ‘the last dance.’” – Phil Jackson, The Last Dance

The Beginning

Over the course of a few weeks in November 2018, South Carolina signed a group of players touted by some as the best recruiting class ever. Four years later – after three seasons of remarkable highs and some heartbreaking lows – Laeticia Amihere, Brea Beal, Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke, and Olivia Thompson are preparing for their version of the last dance.

Unofficially, the first member of the class was Thompson, who committed over the summer as a preferred walk-on. Cooke started the November dominoes when she committed on November 5. Three days later, Beal celebrated her birthday by committing to the Gamecocks. When the signing period opened on November 14, Amihere joined them. With the fourth-, tenth-, and eleventh-ranked prospects in the fold, South Carolina already had the top-ranked class, but there was still one domino standing.

Boston was the third-ranked recruit in 2019, but she was about as low-key as such a highly-ranked player could be. She came from the Virgin Islands and played for a small private school in Massachusetts. She couldn’t dunk like Amihere, wasn’t an all-time leading scorer like Beal, and wasn’t the subject of a viral video with four million views like Cooke. 

Special: Get a year of Gamecock Central for $10!

Boston agonized over her decision and didn’t tell anyone, including Cooke, her AAU teammate. During the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Dawn Staley recalled how Boston called her in tears before her commitment ceremony.

“She’s actually crying, like, you know, she has something to tell me. Usually when they’re crying it’s just like, okay, just get it out. Just say it and let me cry on the inside,” Staley said. “And she was just like, I just want to tell you that I picked a school, and I chose the University of South Carolina. I mean, she says the whole name! I’m like, what? Like seriously. And she was crying, and her mother actually had to take over.”

Technically, Amihere was the first of the class to become a Gamecock. After suffering a knee injury that ended her senior season, Amihere enrolled in January so she could rehab at South Carolina. Although unable to play, she was part of the 2019 team that was blown out in the Sweet 16 by Baylor. She saw firsthand the lows of a dysfunctional team. They haven’t been dysfunctional since.

The First Dance

In their first game together, Boston became the first player in NCAA history to record a triple-double in her first career game. Thompson caught fire from deep and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including seven in a 38-second span. Cooke scored a game-high 13 points, and then cornered Dawn Staley in the hall after the game to ask when they could start practicing for the next game against Maryland. Beal and Amihere filled in the gaps, something that would define their careers.

Garnet Trust: Support and connect with USC student-athletes

South Carolina finished the season as the consensus #1 team but the covid pandemic canceled the NCAA tournament and denied them a likely national championship. As sophomores, they struggled to adapt to the lost leadership of seniors Tyasha Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, but still regrouped in time for a run to the Final Four where they suffered a heartbreaking last-second loss when Beal and Boston missed layups. South Carolina likely would have beaten Arizona in the championship game, making the loss even more bitter.

Heading into their junior seasons, Boston, Cooke, Beal, and Amihere were ready to embrace the leadership role. Boston became the best player in the country. Beal never let a lack of respect stop her from playing lockdown defense. Amihere continued to provide versatility and even filled in at point guard for three games. South Carolina was ranked #1 wire-to-wire and never came close to giving up their perch.

They held on even when the AP poll delayed its vote a day in anticipation of UConn upsetting the Gamecocks. They stayed focused even when ESPN mounted a player of the year campaign for Caitlin Clark. They quickly regrouped after an inexplicable loss at Mizzou that still makes no sense. And they corrected the mistakes after blowing a fourth-quarter lead in the SEC tournament against Kentucky. Nobody is doubting the Gamecocks going into this season. 

“It’s very exciting. Last first day. Time has gone by so fast,” Boston said following the first preseason practice. “This year I’m just looking forward to a repeat.”

The Last Dance

Now we’ve got to keep them, Staley told the media room after discussing the 2021 signing class that was supposed to rival 2019. That class played all of two games before injuries and transfers broke up the group. One of the legacies of the 2019 class is that everyone stayed. 

Amihere stayed despite the slow recovery from injury and the separation from her family (during the pandemic she had to get special waivers from the two governments just to be able to travel). Beal could have gone somewhere else and been a focal point on offense. Cooke could easily average 25 points a game, but she was willing to play second fiddle to Boston. Thompson could transfer to a place she’d actually get to play. Hell, Boston could have gone to UConn where she would have to fight just to be recognized.

Receive breaking news and in-depth analysis via email

Technically they all have one more season because of the pandemic. Staley has already started reminding them they could stay. But, to stretch out the Chicago Bulls analogy, they know this is the last time. Boston is the likely top pick in the WNBA Draft and has said she intends to go. Cooke’s goal is the WNBA. Thompson might want to get a chance to play. They wanted to win more than one national championship in their careers. The first two seasons saw the opportunity ripped away. This is their last chance.

“Everyone has a goal here of winning another national championship,” Boston said. “We have three people on our roster this year who have not been able to have that, and it would be great and special for them to have that this year with us.”

Discuss South Carolina women’s basketball on The Insiders Forum!