Victaria Saxton serves as USC’s ‘mother hen’ in fifth year with Gamecocks
Dawn Staley recalled fifth-year senior Victaria Saxton’s official recruiting visit with South Carolina not going so well in 2017. For that reason, Saxton’s future commitment to the Gamecocks seemed far from a sure thing.
“It didn’t feel like we were gonna get her,” Staley said.
Saxton did sign with South Carolina in the program’s 2018 class. When she arrived on campus, Staley saw leadership qualities in the five-star forward from Rome, Georgia. And 145 games, a global pandemic, two Final Four runs and a national championship later, Saxton’s fully embraced that capacity.
Staley considers the veteran “low maintenance” who stays true to her personality.
“She’s an old soul,” Staley said. “She’s like a grandma, a mom, a mother hen.”
Saxton doesn’t receive the spotlight that her starting post mate Aliyah Boston garners, nor does she get the amount of touches that leading-scorer Zia Cooke does. But she’s been a starter for three seasons in a row and brings a high basketball IQ to the court.
She’s not one to fill up the stat sheet, but she has accepted her place on the team as someone who does the unnoticed. The 145 games she’s played in is the second most in school history, only trailing LeLe Grissett’s mark of 150.
“I’ve always been a leader all my life,” Saxton said. “So coming in just knowing that it’s a role to take on and continue to keep doing what I do best.”
Saxton — like other athletes — was granted an extra year of eligibility when the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 shortened her sophomore year. She opted to take that extra year after the team won the national championship in April.
She joined South Carolina’s Class of 2018 from Model High School, rated as the No. 6 forward by ESPN. Saxton earned her degree in criminology before returning to USC for a fifth season.
Her on-court role has mainly consisted of crashing the glass and staying active on defense for the Gamecocks.
“The things that she does are effective no matter how defenses play us,” Staley said. “She’s an incredible rebounder. She’s smart defensively.”
Saxton scored a season-high 12 points in USC’s win against Auburn on Thursday. She left the game early after sustaining a cut on her nose in the second half.
Those scoring outputs can be rare with Boston’s knack for double-double performances, the emergence of junior center Kamilla Cardoso and the development of sophomore forward Sania Feagin.
Staley said she wants to get Saxton more looks on offense, with midrange shots to counteract the often clogged painted area.
“I wanted to get her right back out there (on Thursday) because she was playing so great and I think she needs to have more confident moments,” Staley said. “Probably by her own standards, she’s gotten off to a slower start than normal.”
Saxton said she’s beginning to get back to her usual self, and said she had to set aside “personal things” to regain focus on the court.
As the team’s elder stateswoman, Saxton is able to aid the inner workings of the team to help the younger players grasp concepts. South Carolina currently rosters four freshmen and two sophomores.
Saxton is comfortable with leading vocally and by example, allowing others to follow her lead.
“All the little things matter,” Saxton said. “So any little thing that I see, I try to make sure I can just give them any sort of advice. Watching film, just anything.”
Saxton’s “magnetic” energy sets an example for South Carolina’s youth and its seasoned athletes as well.
As the Gamecocks seek to repeat as national champions, they’ll look toward Saxton’s direction during their pursuit.
“She comes in, she plays hard every day,” Staley said. “She’s no worry. So we appreciate that, and we let her know that. And that’s a premium to have on a team now.”
NEXT FOUR SOUTH CAROLINA WBB GAMES
Thursday: at Kentucky, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Jan. 15: home vs. Missouri, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Jan. 19: at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 22: home vs. Arkansas, 3 p.m. (SEC Network or ESPN2)
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
