‘She looks amazing’: USC guard Bree Hall thriving off the bench for No. 1 Gamecocks
As the game hung in the balance against No. 2 Stanford, the top-ranked South Carolina women’s basketball team looked to a seemingly unlikely hero — sophomore guard Bree Hall.
She knocked down two 3-pointers in overtime that helped decide a 76-71 win on Nov. 20. The first one came just over a minute into the period to cut the early four-point lead to one.
The next was the clinching shot, as the double-teamed Aliyah Boston found her open on the wing, and the guard from Dayton, Ohio, raised up, swished the shot and extended USC’s lead to four.
“I didn’t expect to be in that position, I won’t lie,” Hall said. “But when she passed it, I was like ‘I gotta shoot this.’ And it felt perfect.”
Hall’s come up big for the No. 1 Gamecocks this season. Her minutes per game have increased by seven (9.1 to 16.6), her points per game have increased by about five (2.7 to 7.4) and her field goal percentage is almost a 20% uptick from her freshman year (31.4% to 50.0%).
She attributes her contributions this year to the training she’s done on her own time.
“I was coming into the gym a lot more,” Hall said. “Last year, I didn’t really focus a lot about going into the gym, getting shots up and stuff like that. But after practice, I’m there getting shots up, I’m working on my free throws.”
She was a standout player at Wayne High School, averaging 25.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game during her senior year. Hall made the McDonald’s All-American team in 2021 with three other Gamecocks in her class.
Hall’s begun to put her talent and skillset together this season.
“She looks amazing,” senior forward Laeticia Amihere said last week. “Her confidence coming into the Stanford game was another great example of her just coming off the bench and banging in for us.”
Hall started the team’s preseason game against Benedict College, showcasing her abilities on both ends of the floor.
She already built up a reputation as a defender for South Carolina, but has had more opportunities to display her offensive game.
The 12 points she scored against Stanford was a career-high, and she topped it against Hampton with a 14-point outing just a week later. Hall’s made five of her 10 3-point attempts this season as well.
“Breezy is aggressive,” head coach Dawn Staley said after the Hampton game. “Breezy plays the same way all the time, so you know what you’re getting from her. And hopefully, she can continue to do the things that she’s doing.”
Hall’s been a spark off the bench, something she said Staley has emphasized for the team this season, especially for the SEC Tournament and beyond. Hall also said she’s becoming more of a vocal leader, something she didn’t do as much of last year.
She is one of the players that greatly contributes to USC’s improved depth because of her development. And she continues to look for ways to produce on and off the court.
“When I come out, I think it’s just important for me to stay that energetic person on the bench,” Hall said. “Bringing all the hype and energy, clapping and all those different things on the bench to keep my teammates in the game.”
Next four USC WBB games
Sunday: home vs. Liberty, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Dec. 15: neutral vs. South Dakota State, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dec. 18: home vs. Charleston Southern, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Dec 21: home vs. Coastal Carolina, noon (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 3:01 PM.
