Former Gamecock Talaysia Cooper announces new SEC transfer destination
A former Gamecock is headed to her third SEC school.
Talaysia Cooper, who started her career at South Carolina and also played at Tennessee, has committed to Ole Miss, she announced Wednesday. Cooper had formally entered the transfer portal earlier this week.
Cooper will be a redshirt senior and have one year of eligibility remaining.
“Fresh Start. Strong Finish,” she wrote in a post on X.
A former McDonald’s All-American at East Clarendon High School and native of Turbeville, South Carolina, Cooper played one season for coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks in 2022-23, averaging 2.9 points and 8.4 minutes per game.
She transferred from USC that offseason, though, and did so outside the normal transfer portal window, meaning she’d need to sit out a full season.
Cooper committed to new Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell and the Lady Vols and redshirted the 2023-24 season before emerging as one of UT’s best players.
In her Tennessee career, Cooper averaged 16.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game. Tennessee reached the Sweet 16 round in 2025.
Cooper, a 6-foot guard, ranked as the fifth-best available player in the transfer portal per ESPN. She’s made the All-SEC second team in back-to-back seasons and scored double-digit points in 25 of 29 games for Tennessee last year.
Cooper, 21, matched up against South Carolina and Staley twice during her Tennessee career and will get a chance to do that again at Ole Miss, her third and final school.
The Rebels, led by coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, will play the Gamecocks at least once during 2026-27 SEC play.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 1:04 PM.
