Poll: Who are the greatest South Carolina women’s basketball players of all time?
The State is publishing a “Mount Rushmore of South Carolina Athletics” series this summer. Each week we’ll determine the best of the best for various Gamecock sports program.
Up first: South Carolina women’s basketball.
After sorting through stats, records books and crowd sourcing on social media, The State compiled a list of 14 players across program history as the best to ever suit up for the Gamecocks.
Choose four players you think deserve to be on the Mount Rushmore of South Carolina women’s basketball. Make your voice heard and cast your votes below the bios. Vote as often as you like — and use the comments feature on this story to “write in” another one of your favorites.
We’ll unveil our own picks Thursday for the Mount Rushmore of USC women’s basketball.
Player bios
Katrina Anderson (1977-79): Anderson played just two seasons for the Gamecocks but made her mark on the program in the limited time. She was the first in program history to earn an All-American honor in the 78-79 season. Anderson also led South Carolina to the NWIT Championship in her senior year.
Aliyah Boston (2019-23): Boston’s success at South Carolina is only rivaled by that of A’ja Wilson’s. She led the Gamecock to three-straight Final Fours and won a national title in 2022. Boston was a four-time All-American, four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, four-time All-SEC honoree, two-time SEC Player of the Year, Wooden Award winner and Naismith Award winner.
Kamilla Cardoso (2021-24): Cardoso transferred to South Carolina from Syracuse and quickly became a key player in the post. She was named SEC Sixth Woman of the Year in her junior year and then the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. Cardoso was named an All-American that same season and ended her career at South Carolina with two national championships.
Alaina Coates (2014-17): Coates played a key role, alongside Tiffany Mitchell and Wilson, in turning South Carolina into a perennial contender in women’s basketball. She was the SEC Rookie of the Year and Sixth Woman of the Year in 2014. Coates earned All-SEC Honors four times in her career and was named to the All-SEC Defense Team twice.
Zia Cooke (2019-23): Cooke was a three-time All-SEC player at South Carolina and was named an All-American in her senior year after three times as an honorable mention. Cooke was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year in 2023 and won a national championship with South Carolina in 2022.
Sheila Foster (1978-82): Foster set several records during her career as a Gamecock. She is South Carolina’s second-leading scorer of all time with 2,266 points and second-leading rebounder with 1,427 boards. She started all 137 games in her career and was the first woman in Gamecock athletics to have their jersey retired in 1982.
Shaunzinski Gortman (1998-2002): Gortman was the first Gamecock to be drafted in the WNBA when she was taken with the ninth pick in the 2002 draft. The Columbia product scored 1,367 points in her career for South Carolina and was named an All-SEC player twice.
Tyasha Harris (2016-20): Harris was a three-time All-SEC player at South Carolina and was named the SEC Athlete of the Year in 2020. She was an All-American in her senior year and was also the winner of the Dawn Staley award in 2020. Harris won a national title with USC in 2017.
Shannon Johnson (1992-96): Johnson is South Carolina’s third-leading scorer of all time (2,230 career points) and is the only Gamecock to ever average 20-plus points per game for three straight seasons. She was an All-American and three-time All-SEC player whose No. 14 jersey is retired.
Tiffany Mitchell (2012-16): Mitchell started in 135 of the 139 games she played for South Carolina in her career. She was the first Gamecock to win SEC Player of the Year (and did so twice) while also earning All-American honors three times. Mitchell’s No. 25 jersey was retired in 2023.
Martha Parker (1985-89): Parker is one of the five Gamecocks to have their respective jerseys (No. 13) retired and hanging in the rafters of Colonial Life Arena. A three-time All-American and two-time Metro Conference Player of the Year, Parker started in 122 of the 124 games as a Gamecock and helped USC to three Metro Conference Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Jocelyn Penn (1998-2003): Penn was a two-time All-SEC player at South Carolina and earned All-American honors in her senior season. She led the SEC in steals per game in her freshman and seniors seasons and still holds the program record for all-time steals in a career (353) and steals per game (3.0). Penn ranks in the program’s Top 10 for all-time leading scorers and rebounders.
Brantley Southers (1981-86): Southers became the program’s first conference player of the year when she won the Metro Conference honor in 1986. She was also the program’s first Freshman All-American. Southers was a three-time All-American who scored 1,982 points in her career, still good for fourth in program history.
A’ja Wilson (2014-18): Wilson is one of the most decorated student athletics in University of South Carolina history. She has a statue outside of Colonial Life Arena to honor the Columbia product’s long list of accolades that includes being an NCAA champion, four-time All-American, three-time SEC Player of the Year, Wooden Award winner, Naismith Award winner and much more. She had her No. 22 jersey retired in February.
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 12:43 PM.
