‘I’m in a flow’: Freshman guard hitting stride at perfect time for Gamecocks WBB
Dawn Staley called freshman guard Agot Makeer the “X-Factor” for South Carolina women’s basketball after the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Makeer proved exactly that Monday night, if there was ever any doubt otherwise.
No. 1 seed South Carolina clinched its sixth-straight Final Four appearance with a 78-52 win over No. 3 TCU in the Elite Eight in Sacramento.
Makeer left her stamp all over the game. The freshman played 31 minutes (second to only Joyce Edwards) and scored a career-high 18 points off the bench. USC forward Maryam Dauda said while Makeer is technically a freshman, she didn’t look like one on the court against TCU.
“I’ve been saying, ‘Gotti’ is the X-factor of this team,” USC star Raven Johnson said, using Makeer’s teamwide nickname. “She’s a silent killer. She’s not afraid, she’s not afraid of nobody. I think her confidence is through the roof through the March Madness tournament like it’s showing.”
Makeer’s game has found another level since the start of the postseason. She averaged 5.9 points per game during the regular season but is averaging 14.8 points in four NCAA Tournament elimination games.
Agot Makeer details ‘different’ approach in postseason
What’s been the difference? A mindset change, she said.
“Starting in the SEC Tournament I just started approaching games differently,” Makeer said. “And I feel like it wasn’t just one-dimensional thinking. I just wanted to go and do whatever I can to get the team to win. So just in this tournament, I’ve just thought whatever I can do to get this team a win is what I need to do.”
While her scoring will be highlighted (and rightfully so), Makeer was also crucial to South Carolina’s defensive efforts against TCU.
Makeer played a big role in guarding TCU star guard Olivia Miles. While Miles scored 18 points she was an inefficient 6-for-20 from the field. Makeer totaled three steals in the game, two of which helped kick-start a USC run in the third quarter.
“I feel like all the assistant coaches and everybody has been putting an emphasis on that for me to rise and just be in that spotlight and stuff,” Makeer said. “So I think in just that moment — I’m in a flow right now.”
Dawn Staley on Agot Makeer’s seasonwide growth
Staley said she’s challenged Makeer, a native of Thunder Bay, Ontario in Canada and the No. 6 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, to grow and reach her potential.
“I think with Gotti, she was in and out with injuries,” Staley said. “And then we had some other injuries, and she got pushed up to knowing that she was going to play. I do think she’s a different player when she knows she’s going to play. So I think it’s that. And we also just challenged her. We just really challenged her to go out there and be who she is. ... Her future is bright.”
Makeer has become a “vital piece” to South Carolina’s success, Staley said. She averaged 17.3 minutes per game in the regular season, and that’s increased to 23.5 minutes during the postseason.
“We never stopped thinking about the contributions that Agot can give to us. ... It’s always like, ‘She’s super talented. When is it going to click?’” Staley said. “And then we just kind of stayed with it, probably even when she didn’t want to stay with it. ... She’s playing lights out.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
