Future Gamecock named USC’s first McDonald’s All-American since 2014

For the first time in four years, a South Carolina women’s basketball commit will be represented on high school basketball’s biggest stage: the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Point guard Destanni Henderson, who signed with the Gamecocks in November 2017 after verbally pledging to Dawn Staley’s team last January, was officially named a McDonald’s All-American on Tuesday, joining a group of 24 who will play in Atlanta on March 28.

The last time South Carolina had a future player selected to compete in the nation’s premier All-Star contest was in 2014, when Bianca Cuevas-Moore and Jatarie White were both picked. A’ja Wilson was also on that roster, though she had yet to pick USC. A year later, then-Tennessee recruit Te’a Cooper also earned All-American honors. She transferred to South Carolina this past offseason.

Henderson is the seventh McDonald’s All-American who will play for South Carolina under coach Dawn Staley, a prestigious list that includes Wilson, Cuevas-Moore, Cooper, Alaina Coates, Kaela Davis and Kelsey Bone.

Henderson is the ninth-ranked recruit in the class of 2018, according to ESPN. She was also recently named to the Naismith Trophy’s midseason watchlist of 25 players in contention for National Player of the Year honors.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Future Gamecock named USC’s first McDonald’s All-American since 2014."