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WBB: Roster Breakdown Part 2 - Returning Reserves

South Carolina has a loaded roster for the 2021-22 season. All 11 players from last season’s Final Four team return, plus four freshmen in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class, along with one of the most-coveted transfers in the country.

Figuring out how to put all the pieces together will be a challenge. This week we’ll take a look at how everyone might fit in. Yesterday we broke down returning starters, today it's the returning reserves.

WBB: Roster Breakdown Part 1 - Returning Starters

LeLe Grissett (6-2, Super Senior, Wing)

6.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 19.2 mpg, 50% FG, 33.3% 3PT

Pros: Athletic, high-energy, and low-maintenance, Grissett could play guard, wing, or forward. She didn’t put up big numbers, but that versatility allowed Dawn Staley to make lineup adjustments that created mismatches, if not for Grissett, then for other players. Her size and speed in transition was a big part of the Gamecock fast break.

Cons: Grissett’s half-court offense was pretty limited. She scored almost entirely off baseline drives and putbacks.

Needs to improve: It shocked me that at the end of the season Grissett was still able to get by defenders for the baseline drive. That’s her only offensive move, and yet she still caught defenders unaware. She’s not on the court to score, but it would help if she was a little more reliable with her jump shot.

Projection: Grissett is a question mark. She got the cast off her injured foot in late April, but she is still using a scooter to get around. Grissett’s exact injury was never announced, and I’m not a doctor, although I play one on the internet, and non-contact injuries like what she had tend to take a long time to heal. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s not ready to play at the start of the season.

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GamecockCentral.com's coverage of women's basketball is brought to you by Post Up Careers, proudly owned and operated by Gamecock fan and GamecockCentral.com member Franklin Buchanan. Did you know that you have about 6 seconds to make an impression on a hiring manager when applying for a job? And that your resume is the marketing piece that you must make sure is up to date, highlights your skills and achievements, and will get you past applicant tracking systems? Post Up Careers can guide you through this process with their customized resume services. For a limited time, GamecockCentral.com subscribers can book a FREE consultation with Franklin to discuss, and 20% off resume and cover letter services, should you choose to book. For your FREE resume review and consultation, go here! https://calendly.com/franklin-postup/gamecockcentral
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Destiny Littleton (5-9, RS Senior, Guard)

2.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.4 tpg, 11.6 mpg, 32.8% FG, 30.6% 3PT

Pros: Littleton was steady. That may seem like damning with faint praise, but it was a valuable commodity for an inconsistent second unit, especially when she ran point. She’s also a good rebounder for her size.

Cons: As the all-time leading scorer in the state of California, you expected better shooting from Littleton.

Needs to improve: Littleton needs to get in better shape. It’s understandable that she wasn’t in the best shape after having surgery on both feet that kept her from playing for the better part of a year.

Projection: Given all the incoming talent at guard, Littleton will have to play better than she did this year to play much next season. Hopefully better fitness and more practice time will pay off and she can carve out a role as a third guard.

Elysa Wesolek (6-1, Senior, Forward)

0.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 4.7 mpg, 30.0% FG, 0-3 3PT

Pros: Aside from blowouts, Wesolek got most of her playing time late in the first half to protect Aliyah Boston from foul trouble. It isn’t much, but it helps.

Cons: Wesolek is a little undersized for a post and she isn’t quick enough to compensate.

Needs to improve: At this point she probably is who she is, but if Wesolek could get a little quicker on defense she would be a better defender.

Projection: Wesolek’s role probably won’t change much. She may still get those end of half minutes, and Wesolek is also a valuable practice player.

Laeticia Amihere (6-4, RS Junior, Forward)

6.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 0.9 apg, 2.3 tpg, 18.1 mpg, 39.8% FG, 0-10 3PT,

Pros: Fully recovered from her knee injury, Amihere was much more athletic during her sophomore season. She had some monster games along the way and was often a mismatch for opponents.

Cons: The skills that make Amihere a mismatch for some opponents also makes her a mismatch for the Gamecocks against others. She struggled tremendously against small, quick teams, and zone defenses.

Needs to improve: Turnovers. Turnovers. Turnovers. Amihere committed the third most turnovers on the team despite playing the seventh most minutes. She averaged a turnover every 3.9 minutes she was on the court. Many came as she was starting to drive, and many came inside in traffic.

Projection: This is it. Last season was supposed to be the breakout year for Amihere, but although there were some really impressive stretches it didn’t quite come together. Then came the NCAA Tournament, and with LeLe Grissett injured, Amihere finally had a clear role and she raised her game to match. She averaged 10 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.2 assists in San Antonio. Staley admitted that she should have given Amihere a more clearly defined role earlier, so hopefully it carries over to next season.

Olivia Thompson (5-8, Junior, Guard)

0.8 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 2.7 mpg, 35.3% FG, 4-13 3PT

Pros: Thompson is a good shooter, team player, and understands her role.

Cons: Thompson is a defensive liability. Opposing teams went after her the few times she got significant minutes, and Thompson was unable to stop it.

Needs to improve: It may seem counter-intuitive, but shooting. Thompson will never be a great defender - she’s too small and too slow. But if she can become an absolute lights out shooter who can space the court or come in for an occasional designed play, it will make up for her liability on the other end. Steve Kerr played 16 seasons in the NBA and won five championships and I don’t remember him making any defensive plays, so it can work.

Projection: Short of becoming a 50% shooter from three, Thompson will continue to play sparingly in blowouts.

Eniya Russell (6-1, Sophomore, Guard)

2.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 6.5 mpg, 33.3% FG, 4-20 3PT,

Pros: Russell is athletic with good size for a guard. She’s good at drawing fouls (35 free throw attempts in just 169 minutes). Russell is fearless and confident, and flashed some major talent.

Cons: Watching Russell, you never forgot she was a freshman. She was a do-everything player in high school and there were a lot of times when she fell back on old habits, trying to make the play on her own instead of making a team play.

Needs to improve: Russell struggled to translate practice performance into games. Going into the NCAA Tournament, Staley created a specific lineup designed to highlight Russell. It worked well in practice, but bombed in the trial run against Mercer. With no margin for error, the lineup never got a second chance.

Projection: It will be interesting to see where Russell fits in. On paper, Saniya Rivers and Bree Hall should immediately leapfrog Russell in the rotation. But experience could give Russell an edge.

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