USC women’s hoops team merchandise flying off shelves

University of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is doing more than winning games. She’s building a brand that increasingly is featured on the backs of the team’s growing fan base.

Team basketball merchandise, mostly T-shirts, is flying off the shelves 50 percent quicker than last year, when the team was knocked out in the Sweet 16 by North Carolina, merchants said Monday.

And with the Gamecocks entering the Final Four on Sunday in Tampa, Fla., and perhaps the championship game April 7, even more merchandise is hitting the market – from Final Four shirts to autographed basketballs. Staley even has her own clothing line.

“Customers always want to relate to the team and want to wear the same shirts as the team,” said Kevin Lucas, collegiate buyer for Jewelry Warehouse’s four Garnet and Black Traditions stores. “Coach Staley knows that.” The stores are in the first year of a partnership to have an exclusive agreement for Gamecock merchandise associated with Staley.

The team will unveil a new “SC&3” Final Four T-shirt on Tuesday, the same shirt the players will wear during warm-ups for Sunday’s game against Notre Dame. The SC&3 refers to the Gamecocks and the other three finalists.

Also, “ I WILL” and “FINAL FOUR” shirts from Under Armour will go on sale Wednesday, along with two more Final Four shirts on Friday.

In all, there are about two dozen Gamecock women’s basketball shirts available and lots of other gear, from decals and stickers to hats and visors.

Ken Halstead, manager of Addams University Bookstore, said the Assembly Street store also has some women’s merchandise and new gear will arrive later this week. But, the majority is sold by Jewelry Warehouse and the university.

Lucas said that Staley is involved in the designs of the team shirts, often making in-store appearances and hawking merchandise on social media. For instance, he said, she made successful the ONE logo that has been the team’s main motto since the start of the season. Jewelry Warehouse has sold about 2,000 of “ONE” shirts, Lucas said.

“We wondered, ‘Are people going to understand it and going to get it?,” he said. “But she rallied around it and engaged with the fans. She’s made our job really easy.”

The university takes a cut at the standard licensing rate of 12 percent of the sales, which could swell to 21 percent for championship shirts, Lucas said. A portion of the proceeds also go to Staley’s charity Innersole Foundation, which buys sneakers for children who are homeless or in need.

Staley was out of town on a recruiting trip Monday and unavailable for comment, said Diana Koval, a USC athletics spokeswoman.

In total, Jewelry Warehouse has sold about 3,000 items related to women’s basketball, Lucas said.

Sales of basketball merchandise generally have caught pace with two-time national champion Gamecock baseball in sales, Lucas said. Basketball items include men’s basketball and the shirts refer generically to Carolina basketball. They are counted together.

Basketball and baseball each sell about half the amount of Gamecock football merchandise, he said.

The current hottest seller for women’s hoops is the “Bleed Dat” shirt tied to a rap video made by team members and released prior to the season. Jewelry Warehouse has sold about 500 shirts since the NCAA tournament began, Lucas said.

“We’ve had to reorder and reorder and reorder,” said Leland Morrison, manager of the Knox Abbott Garnet and Black Traditions store.

The “SC&3” shirt also will feature lyrics from the song.

In addition to shirts, the store will be pre-selling Final Four basketballs autographed by Staley. Limited edition balls from No. 2 to No. 200 will sell for $200 each and come with a case, while Nos. 201 and up will sell for $100 without a case.

Should the Gamecocks win it all, the balls will be upgraded to reflect the championship.

There’s been a surge of (sales) not just for this (tournament) run, but all year,” Morrison said. “Fans are super excited.”