South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball
Encyclopedia
The South Carolina Gamecocks
women's basketball
team represents the University of South Carolina
and competes in the Southeastern Conference
. The team enjoyed its greatest success under head coach Nancy Wilson during the 1980s in the Metro Conference
when it won five regular season conference championships and three conference tournament championships. Since 2002, the team plays its home games at the Colonial Life Arena.
Champions. In 1977, with Pam Parsons as the head coach the women's basketball team, they changed their nickname to the Lady Gamecocks and made post-season trips every year with her at the helm. However, Parsons was forced to resign when Sports Illustrated
published a story, Stormy Weather at South Carolina, that accused Parson of having a sexual relationship with one of her players. The program enjoyed its greatest run of success when it joined the Metro Conference
in 1983. During its eight seasons in the league, the Lady Gamecocks won the regular season championship five times and the conference tournament three times. Head Coach Susan Walvius
resigned on April 14, 2008 and Dawn Staley
was named the new head coach of the Lady Gamecocks on May 7.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team represents the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
and competes in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The team enjoyed its greatest success under head coach Nancy Wilson during the 1980s in the Metro Conference
Metro Conference
The Metropolitan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, popularly known as the Metro Conference, was an NCAA Division I athletics conference, so named because all of its charter members were in urban metropolitan areas in, or at least on the fringes of, the Southern United States...
when it won five regular season conference championships and three conference tournament championships. Since 2002, the team plays its home games at the Colonial Life Arena.
History
The first Gamecocks women's basketball team to compete at an intercollegiate level dates back to 1923 when they were called the Pullets. The first varsity team, known as the Carolina Chicks, took to the court in January 1974 under the guidance of Pam Backhaus. The inaugural team compiled a record of 15-7 and were the South Carolina AIAWAssociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
Champions. In 1977, with Pam Parsons as the head coach the women's basketball team, they changed their nickname to the Lady Gamecocks and made post-season trips every year with her at the helm. However, Parsons was forced to resign when Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
published a story, Stormy Weather at South Carolina, that accused Parson of having a sexual relationship with one of her players. The program enjoyed its greatest run of success when it joined the Metro Conference
Metro Conference
The Metropolitan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, popularly known as the Metro Conference, was an NCAA Division I athletics conference, so named because all of its charter members were in urban metropolitan areas in, or at least on the fringes of, the Southern United States...
in 1983. During its eight seasons in the league, the Lady Gamecocks won the regular season championship five times and the conference tournament three times. Head Coach Susan Walvius
Susan Walvius
Susan Walvius is the former head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of South Carolina. Her best success came in the 2001 and 2002 seasons, where she went 25-7 and 23-8 respectively. In those two seasons, the Gamecocks went 19-9 in SEC play. The 2002 team made it to the Elite...
resigned on April 14, 2008 and Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley
Dawn Michelle Staley is an American basketball player and coach. Staley is a three-time Olympian and was elected to carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics. She was named the University of South Carolina women's head basketball coach on May 7, 2008...
was named the new head coach of the Lady Gamecocks on May 7.
Retired jerseys
| Retired jerseys | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Player | Years |
| 53 | Sheila Foster | 1978-1982 |
| 13 | Martha Parker | 1985-1989 |