LeLe Grissett returning for one more season with Dawn Staley, Gamecocks
The gang’s all back.
South Carolina women’s basketball is set to return every player from its Final Four run for the 2021-22 season, as senior LeLe Grissett announced Friday that she will be coming back to the Gamecocks for another year, taking advantage of the additional eligibility offered by the NCAA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grissett, a 6-foot-2 guard, was the only senior on this last year’s roster and did not declare for the WNBA Draft, which was held Thursday. There was still the possibility that she could have gone pro overseas or started the next phase of her life altogether, but in her announcement Friday, Grissett
As a senior, Grissett started just one game for USC but positioned herself as the team’s top option off the bench. With her blend of length and speed, she was capable of playing and guarding multiple positions. Averaging 7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1 assist per game, she also ranked second on the team in field goal percentage at 50%. Dawn Staley praised her for her leadership and said she set a “tremendous example” for the rest of the Gamecock bench players.
In the championship game of the SEC tournament, however, Grissett went down with a lower leg injury. She immediately exited the game and retreated to the locker room, and when she returned, she was wearing a walking boot and crutches. Soon after, Staley ruled her out for the entire NCAA tournament.
“I’ve enjoyed my four years at the University of South Carolina. I had some ups and downs, some smiles and some cries. These four years have shaped me into the player I am today. I thank my coaches, my teammates and all the staff members for pushing me to become the best person I can be,” Grissett wrote in a statement shared to Twitter.
“My injury didn’t let me finish the way I wanted, so I decided to stay another year. It’s time to shock the world!”
Since the Gamecocks lost in heartbreaking fashion to Stanford in the Final Four in San Antonio, Staley’s squad has managed to avoid the rush of transfers and departures that has hit seemingly every other team in the country. And with Grissett aboard and four freshmen coming in, USC is at currently set to have a full roster of 15 players. That freshman class is composed of four McDonald’s All-Americans who were the top-ranked recruiting class in the country coming in by ESPN.
USC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER 2021-22
SENIORS
LeLe Grissett — guard
Destanni Henderson — guard
Victaria Saxton — forward
Destiny Littleton — guard
Elysa Wesolek — forward
JUNIORS
Aliyah Boston — forward
Zia Cooke — guard
Brea Beal — guard
Laeticia Amihere — forward
Olivia Thompson — guard
SOPHOMORES
Eniya Russell — guard
FRESHMEN
Raven Johnson — guard
Saniya Rivers — guard
Sania Feagin — forward
Bree Hall — guard
This story was originally published April 16, 2021 at 3:35 PM.
