The change began two summers ago in Atlanta, then spread to Chapel Hill before finally ending in Columbia.
Kaela Davis, a star sophomore guard playing at Georgia Tech and a first-team ACC performer that led the conference in scoring during the 2014-2015 season, announced she was leaving the Tech program for greener pastures at South Carolina. Soon after, Allisha Gray, another star guard from the ACC, this time from the University of North Carolina, also decided to transfer to Dawn Staley's program. Gray was also a first\-team ACC player and despite her team going 26-9, she decided to leave Tobacco Road in favor for Blossom Street after South Carolina eliminated her Tar Heels in the NCAA tournament.
Their decision came with some stipulations. Not only would they have to leave behind coaches and teammates at their old schools, but both players would also be forced to sit out a season before being eligible to appear on the court for the Gamecocks.Toiling away on the practice squad without being able to play in games was tough for the two girls who were used to starring at their old schools, but the dividends will soon start to pay out.
“Sitting out a year, it killed me, but it was definitely worth the wait ... now that I’ve got the chains off me I’m ready to go,” Gray said.
“Not being able to play for a year has definitely kind of amped it up a little bit coming into this year.” As if these players needed any more motivation," Davis added.
In her final season at Georgia Tech, Davis averaged over 19 points a game and hit 68 three-pointers, more than any player on the South Carolina team last season. Gray averaged 15.8 points in her sophomore season as a Tar Heel and displayed a knack for getting to the free throw line, attempting 167 foul shots, which is also more than any Gamecock last year.
It would be unrealistic for those stats to continue this season in Columbia. There is only one basketball to share among the whole team, and neither Davis nor Gray will be the primary threat on this team. No, the Gamecocks return a few first-team conference players of their own who will also command the ball. Junior forward A’ja Wilson, who is a reigning first team all-everything (really, SEC Player of the Year, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-SEC First Team, etc.) will be back along with partner in crime Alaina Coates. Coates is a senior forward and another All-SEC first-teamer.
Together, “they're like the two best post players in the nation,” Gray said.
Both Davis and Gray know their role on this team.
“When you have the post players that we have, that's what you want to do,” Davis said about running the offense through the post. But she also wants it to be known that “the guards are going to be ready to knock down shots and make plays as well."
The Gamecocks lost Tiffany Mitchell, Khadijah Sessions, Tina Roy and Asia Dozier from last yea'rs back court, but it is possible that with the additions of Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray, the Gamecocks actually upgraded in in terms of talent.