South Carolina coach Dawn Staley added talented forward Alicia Tournebize to her stacked Gamecocks roster on Jan. 1. The French forward became an internet sensation last year after becoming the first French woman to dunk in a game at the U18 EuroBasket Tournament.
Despite training with the Gamecocks and being present courtside for their nail-biting win against the Florida Gators on Sunday, Tournebize has yet to make her official debut for her new team.
Dawn Staley Addresses Forward Alicia Tournebize’s Availability for USC
Tournbize’s timely addition to the Gamecocks roster comes after Staley’s team lost the services of forward Chloe Kitts to a season-ending ACL injury before the season started and Ashlyn Watkins to a year off.
During her weekly news conference, Staley revealed the availability of Tournebize to start playing games for South Carolina.
“No, probably not,” Staley said. “They’re ramping up, though, which is good. She’s (Tournebize) been a pro, so she understands what she needs to do to come in here. Get in the weight room, get a little treatment, come out here and practice a little bit.
“She hasn’t practiced a whole lot. We’ll continue to ramp her up. We don’t want to just throw her out there; it’s unfair to her to do that. But at some point, hopefully soon, we’ll get her out there in the game.”
Before visiting Columbia in November, Tournebize also visited the Kentucky Wildcats and attended their game against the Purdue Boilermakers, before opting to join Staley’s team.
Staley Reveals Tournebize’s Value to USC
Tournebize averaged 12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in the 2025 U18 EuroBasket Tournament. In eight games played for Tango Bourges Basket, she averaged 2.4 points on 6-of-17 shooting and 1.9 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game.
During a news conference after Tournebize’s arrival, Staley broke down how the French forward would fit into the Gamecocks’ roster.
“It’s needed, her ability to shoot from the outside, shoot over defenses,” Staley said. “I think bringing (Tournebize) into the fold, we’ll get a lot more (high-low) opportunities, and sometimes when players see other players doing it, it becomes contagious.
“She’ll be a threat out there for high-low passes, scoring outside, whether it’s the 3-pointer or mid-range.”
Tournebize’s mother, Isabelle Fijalkowski, played college basketball for Colorado and was then drafted into the WNBA by the Cleveland Rockers in 1997. South Carolina associate head coach Lisa Boyer was an assistant for the Rockers during Tournebize’s mother’s career at the organization.