Two South Carolina women’s basketball reserves hit the transfer portal
Two reserves for South Carolina women’s basketball announced that they have entered their names into the transfer portal.
Senior Elysa Wesolek and sophomore Eniya Russell revealed their intentions to depart the Gamecocks’ program in social media posts Friday.
Wesolek intends to transfer as a graduate with one year of eligibility remaining, she said. Russell, who entered the Gamecocks’ program in 2020, will have two years left to play.
Entry into the portal doesn’t guarantee a player will exit, though Wesolek explicitly stated she will leave the university to pursue a graduate program as a sports nutritionist and dietitian.
Wesolek, a 6-foot-1 forward from Charleston, expressed gratitude for her time at South Carolina in an Instagram post. She saw playing time in 21 games this season, scoring 13 points with 13 rebounds on the year. She scored 28 points off the bench in the 2019-20 season, the most of her career.
“Since I was four years old, it’s always been a dream of mine to attend the University of South Carolina and play the sport I grew up playing and love upon,” she wrote. “Come May, I will be a proud Gamecock alumnus and will always cherish what that means deeply in my path to the next steps in my career.”
Russell is a 6-foot guard from Baltimore who was a five-star recruit in the class of 2020. She was ranked No. 43 in the country out of high school, according to espnW. Russell also considered Georgetown, Indiana, Kentucky and Miami out of Saint Vincent Pallotti High School.
Russell played in 23 games this season, averaging 7.7 minutes. She scored 53 points with 30 rebounds on 42.2% shooting and went 5 of 12 from 3-point range as a sophomore.
“Becoming part of the Gamecock nation on and off the court was undoubtedly a highlight that cannot be forgotten,” Russell wrote in a Twitter post. “A Final Four in my freshman year and a national championship my sophomore year is an experience of a lifetime. I am grateful to be a part of the legacy cemented by South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball.”
In addition to Wesolek and Russell, the Gamecocks will also lose starting point guard Destanni Henderson, who is anticipated to be selected in the first round of Monday’s WNBA draft. Senior Victaria Saxton, a starting forward, announced she will return for a fifth year with the Gamecocks last week.
South Carolina added Georgia Tech guard Kierra Fletcher from the transfer portal Wednesday. Fletcher, a 5-foot-9 guard from Warren Michigan, was the Yellow Jackets’ leading scorer in the 2020-21 season.
