How patience, confidence led South Carolina senior Sania Feagin to first All-SEC honors
Dawn Staley nearly benched Sania Feagin at one point earlier this season.
Staley ultimately decided not to remove Feagin from the starting lineup. But Feagin said it still “fueled my fire” to prove she belonged with the starters.
Now, with March Madness right around the corner, the senior is an integral part of the Gamecocks’ success — and has the stats and all-conference accolades to prove it.
“For me, I trust in my process,” Feagin said after South Carolina won its ninth SEC title on Sunday. “I trust in the Lord. And I just went out there and just took it all in and did what I had to do.”
The process has been a long one for Feagin.
A Georgia native, Feagin came to Columbia as a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 4 recruit in the Class of 2021.
During Feagin’s first two seasons with the Gamecocks, she was behind future WNBA Draft picks in Aliyah Boston, Laeticia Amihere, Victoria Saxton and Kamilla Cardoso on the depth chart, making minutes hard to come by.
Still, she played in 31 games in her freshman year and 27 as a sophomore. Her playing time increased from 4.3 minutes per game to 7.9 in that time.
Last year, her junior season, Feagin played in all 38 of South Carolina’s games en route to the program’s third national championship. She came off the bench in all but three of those games and averaged a career-high 6.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and played 15 minutes per game.
“Just reading them, just learning from them and understanding that it’s OK to make mistakes,” is what Feagin learned from the bench, she told The State. “... Just keep playing the game you want to play and just be dominant.”
Feagin has started in all 33 games she’s played in this season and has been a force in the post at her best. She’s averaging 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, all new career highs.
“Watching Sania’s journey, she wasn’t always a starter,” USC forward Adhel Tac said. “But she came in, learned her role, played her role, and through that she’s blossomed into an amazing player, an amazing teammate, an amazing person. That patience has led her to so many great things. She could have let not playing a lot bother her. But instead, she knew her time was coming, and that’s all it’s about.”
When South Carolina played Texas (the first time) in Columbia this season Feagin finished with nine points, eight rebounds and a career-high six blocks.
It’s exactly the kind of production Staley, who said Feagin had “coasted” the last three seasons, had been waiting for.
“She’s just giving it up on both sides of the basketball,” Staley said after the game. “I think once a player has a breakthrough of just not putting obstacles in front of them, they just have the breakthrough. ... When you have someone that has sat for as long as she sat and is playing as well as she played, that is it. That’s what we were trying to get from Feagin for three years.”
The success Feagin’s had this season culminated in her very first All-SEC honor. Feagin in early March was named to the All-SEC Defensive Team alongside teammate Raven Johnson.
“I like it because, I don’t know if you guys remember, but I went from not really playing because of my defense to being on the All-SEC Defense team,” Feagin said. “I take that in because it’s a good accomplishment.”
Feagin told The State the confidence she has in her defensive game has increased and, in turn, helped it grow throughout the season. The All-SEC honor only added to it.
“It’s confidence, it’s passion, it’s all mental,” Feagin said. “Defense is all mental. So when you put your mind to it, you can do it.”
Tac said she’s picked up on a thing or two while being behind Feagin on the depth chart. She admires the patience Feagin has shown and sees parallels between the two’s careers.
“I have sort of a similar play style to (Feagin) in just the way I communicate, she’s a heavy communicator,” Tac said. “I feel like she’s the eye of the storm for us. It’s great when we have somebody who can control us and keep us even-keeled, not too high with the highs, not too low with the lows. I feel like it’s great being able to watch a player like that so I can model how I want to be for my team.”
Feagin kept things rolling in the SEC Tournament last week. She averaged 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and one block for the Gamecocks during their run to a third-straight SEC title.
That production earned her an All-SEC Tournament Team nod. As ESPN’s Holly Rowe listed the names of the all-tournament team during the trophy celebration, the last thing Feagin expected was to hear her name called. At the end of the day, it was just more validation for her, she said.
Each player on South Carolina’s roster who earned an All-SEC honor was celebrated by their teammates, Tac said, but it was extra special to see a player like Feagin rewarded.
“I feel like a lot of things she does goes unnoticed by people because her game isn’t super flashy or loud,” Tac said. “Sania’s the kind of player you want on your team, not just as a leader, but as a player. She’s like the heart of our locker room and she’s a very big voice.”
How to watch NCAA women’s Selection Sunday
- What: 2025 NCAA women’s basketball bracket reveal
- When: 8 p.m. Sunday
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: via ESPN.com or the ESPN app
USC fan event on Sunday
The South Carolina women’s basketball will have a Selection Show watch party Sunday at Colonial Life Arena.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with fan games (7 p.m.) and a Q&A session with the team (7:30 p.m.) happening before the Selection Show begins at 8 p.m.
Admission to the event is free with general admission seating in Sections 104-106. Parking is free in Lots A and B at the arena.
This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
