WBB: The Best Player at Each Number
The summer of no sports drags on so we’ll go on another trip through the South Carolina History & Records book. This time it’s to find the best player who wore each number in women’s basketball history.
You know how it seems like you’ve never seen a high number? That’s because you haven’t. The NCAA rules limit jersey numbers to digits 0-5. So 0 (or 00) through 5, 10 through 15, 20 through 25, and so forth up to 55. 0 and 00 are considered different numbers, but you can’t have both on the roster at the same time (This could come up next season: Olivia Thompson currently wears 0, while incoming freshman Eniya Russell wore 00 in high school. Somebody will have to give up their number).
Why the limitation? Because officials typically have five fingers on each hand, and they have to be able to signal numbers to the scorer. (The NBA does not have any of these restrictions, even though NBA refs still have five fingers.)
That leaves us with 37 eligible numbers. There are just two eligible numbers that have never been worn: 43 and 54 (two perfectly good basketball numbers if you ask me).
A few players have worn multiple numbers over the course of their careers. Ieasia Walker wore three different numbers. She wore 14 as a freshman, and then when her preferred 3 became available, switched for her sophomore and junior seasons. Then as a senior she wore 2 to honor teammate Shelbretta Ball, who was forced to medically retire. Brionna Dickerson wore 32 for two years until her preferred 23, which she wore in high school (Heathwood Hall eventually retired it), became available. Betsy Scott and Janice Wolfe apparently had some sort of rivalry going: Scott wore 32 for two seasons, then gave it up to Wolfe as a junior (wearing 30), and then reclaimed it as a senior. All that took place back in the 70s when records were spotty for any sport, but especially nascent women’s basketball, so who knows what happened with that (no I wasn’t covering those teams, nor could I track either player down after 10 minutes of Googling).
Without further ado, here’s the list:
00 - Petra Ujhelyi
Petra finished her career just shy of 1,000 points, and averaged 11.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists as a senior. She got a cup of coffee with the WNBA Champion Detroit Shock in 2003, and was a graduate assistant on South Carolina’s 2015 Final Four team.
0 - Nelly Perry
Under Dawn Staley, 0 has traditionally been assigned to a walk-on. That means that although there are plenty of choices (and turnover), there wasn’t a lot of production. Perry gets the nod since she had the highest scoring average - 3.6 ppg. Shay Colley is the only other player to average over 2.0 points, but she only played one semester. Olivia Thompson currently wears 0 (and wore it in high school).
1 - Bianca Cuevas-Moore
Surprisingly, only five players have worn this number. Cuevas-Moore scored a thousand points and won a national title, so she easily gets the nod over Ebony Wilson, Nihan Anaz, and Andrea Plemons. Unless something strange happens, Zia Cooke will own this number by the time she graduates.
2 - Olivia Gaines
Let’s face it, when you see the number 2 at Colonial Life Arena, you think of Devan Downey. It helps that nobody on the women’s side has really stood out with this number. Walker wore it when she was SEC Defensive Player of the Year, but I think of her wearing 3. Te’a Cooper wore it, but I always thought she looked funny in Downey’s number. Gaines, from Chester like Downey, made some memorable plays wearing 2.
3 - Ieasia Walker
For such a popular basketball number, 3 hasn’t really had a standout. I easily could have gone with Kaela Davis, but she only wore it for one season. Even Walker only wore it for two of her four seasons. Destanni Henderson has two more years to make this number hers.
4 - Aliyah Boston
I’m projecting a bit to give this to Boston after one season, but it was quite a season. There also isn’t a ton of competition here: Doniyah Cliney and Samone Kennedy were good role players, and Lori Joyner had a couple of good seasons, but Boston, already one of the most decorated Gamecocks, seems destined to be an all-time great.
5 - Khadijah Sessions
This was hard. You have several solid players, but no real standouts. So I’ll go with Sessions, the starting point guard on South Carolina’s first Final Four team. Victaria Saxton could have a claim by the time she graduates. Of course, the best Gamecock to wear 5 is Dawn Staley, who wore it with Team USA and in the WNBA.
10 - Allisha Gray
I wouldn’t argue with Kelly Marrone, who had a nice career and was a member of the 2002 Elite Eight team, but I’ll give the nod to Gray. Gray only played one season but won a national championship before heading to the WNBA, where she was Rookie of the Year.
11 - La’Keisha Sutton
Sutton was the leader on Staley’s early teams, and may be as responsible as any player for making the Gamecocks a competitive program. SInce Sutton graduated in 2012, only Lindsey Spann, for half a season in 2018, has worn 11, and Destiny Littleton will wear it next season.
12 - Brantley Southers
There have been a surprising number of players who have worn the number 12 over the years, especially considering it isn’t a traditionally popular basketball number. Rita Johnson, Michelle Murray, Sarah Burgess, and Charenee Stephens all had solid careers, but none can match Southers. Southers averaged 20.5 points as a senior and 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds for her career. She finished her career in the top five in scoring and top ten in rebounding. Brea Beal currently wears 12.
13 - Martha Parker (retired)
Parker is the first of three retired numbers, and one of only two players to wear 13. Parker averaged 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists for her career. Parker was a three-time All-America and is still top ten in scoring and top five in assists and steals.
14 - Shannon Johnson (retired)
Several other players had good careers in 14, but it’s retired for Johnson for a reason. Johnson is one of two players to score 50 points in a game, is far and away the school leader in 30-point games, is still third in career points, and has the highest single-season scoring average - 24.7 ppg in 1995-96. Johnson was an All-American, won an Olympic gold medal, WNBA All-Star, and member of the WNBA All-Decade team.
15 - Cristina Ciocan
A member of the 2002 Elite Eight team, Ciocan finished her career as the Gamecocks’ all-time leader in assists, a record she surrendered to Tyasha Harris last season. She still holds the record for assists in a game (18) and career assists per game average (5.3), and is one of seven Gamecocks to have recorded a triple-double (against Clemson no less). Laeticia Amihere currently wears 15.
20 - Christi Timmons
Not a popular number. Timmons played in the early 90s and finished her career with 1,002 points. She was a freshman All-American in 1992, but didn’t really build on her first season.
21 - Mikiah Herbert Harrigan
For a traditionally popular basketball number, South Carolina hasn’t seen a lot of players wear 21. I love Ashley Bruner, but KiKi gets the nod. She is tied for second in career blocks, and her baseline jumper was a thing of beauty. She won a national championship as a freshman and then averaged 13.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks and won SEC Tournament MVP as a senior.
22 - A’ja Wilson
There have been some good players to wear 22 over the years - Denise Nanney, Katrina Anderson, Monica Williams, Lisa Williams, and Courtney Newton all had solid or even great careers, but this belongs to Wilson. Since 22 has been out of circulation for the men, retired in honor of Alex English, for fans under a certain age who never saw English play, the number 22 is synonymous with Wilson across men’s and women’s basketball, and maybe other sports. And while South Carolina no longer retires numbers, it’s going to take a special player to get 22 back on the court.
23 - Marsha Williams
Williams was a prolific scorer. She is still 12th in career points and averaged 21.4 points per game in 1991-92, the eighth-best season in school history. She’s also fourth in career rebounds and was a two-time All-American.
24 - Aleighsa Welch
24 has been a popular number. Among others, including a bunch of one-year players, Demetress Adams and LeLe Grissett have had good careers (with one more season for Grissett). But by now you know I’m always going with Muffin. Of course, an honorable mention goes to Staley, who wore 24 at Virginia before adopting her more familiar 5.
25 - Tiffany Mitchell
Mitchell’s jersey hasn’t been retired, but nobody has worn 25 since she graduated. Mitchell was a two-time SEC Player of the Year, and would have been the first player to win three if A’ja Wilson hadn’t taken over Mitchell’s senior year. Mitchell is sixth in career scoring, but was also a lock-down defender who is top ten in steals. She helped lead South Carolina to the 2015 Final Four, turning the Gamecocks into a national power.
30 - Lauren Simms
Simms was the best player on some bad teams, but she scored 1,104 points and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll four times.
31 - Schonna Banner
Banner was a consistent scorer and rebounder for four seasons (her career averages of 14.3 points and 7.2 rebounds were in line with her season averages) and is seventh on South Carolina’s career scoring list and sixth in rebounding. She was an All-American and three-time All-Metro Conference player.
32 - Shaunzinski Gortman
This was the toughest decision. Sharon Gilmore played in the early-80s, essentially as Sheila Foster’s successor. Gilmore averaged 13.7 points and 8.0 rebounds for her career, and is top 15 in career points. But Gortman was a slightly more well-rounded player. She averaged 13.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in her career, helping South Carolina to the Elite Eight as a senior. She was a two-time All-SEC player and is top-20 in career scoring. Elysa Wesolek currently wears 32.
33 - Elem Ibiam
A classic basketball number that has never caught on at South Carolina. By my count, six players have worn 33, and only two have averaged more than 4.2 points per game. Jordan Jones led South Carolina in scoring in 2007-08, Susan Walvius’ last season, but she transferred to Florida after one season. That leaves Elem Ibiam, who was a fine player with a solid career, but nothing spectacular. She is top five in career blocks and averaged 6.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks for her career and started for the 2015 Final Four team. El deserves credit for being selfless - she averaged 9.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks as a junior, setting what was then a school record with 83 blocks - but she accepted a reduced role as a senior to make room for A’ja Wilson.
34 - Shannon Segres
Another classic basketball number with absolutely no history at South Carolina. Segres averaged over eight points per game as a freshman and sophomore, but she was playing just 9.7 minutes per game as a senior. Still, she did make six starts that year for a team that made the Elite Eight.
35 - Alexis Jennings
Jennings doesn’t have much competition here. A two-year starter after transferring from Kentucky, Jennings averaged 11.3 points and 6.4 rebounds for her career. She was A’ja Wilson’s low post help during Wilson’s stellar senior season and was named second team all-SEC as a senior.
40 - Teresa Geter
Geter was a South Carolina Miss Basketball who played two seasons at Tennessee before transferring back to her hometown school. She averaged 10.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in those two seasons, helping the Gamecocks reach the Elite Eight as a senior. Her 1.8 blocks per game is second all-time behind A’ja Wilson.
41 - Alaina Coates
Lakesha Tolliver deserves respect for being fourth in career blocks, but this is easy. Coates is second in career blocks, tied for the record for blocks in a game (10), second in career rebounds, is the career leader in career field goal percentage, and notched a triple-double. She was SEC Freshman of the Year, 6th Player of the Year, four-time All-SEC, two-time SEC All-Defense, and two-time honorable mention All-America. I probably forgot something, too.
42 - Nikki Miars
Miars gets this almost by default - only three players have worn 42 - but she earned it too. Miars scored 1,263 points in the late-90s, and was second-team all SEC in 1997. Miars is still just outside the top-20 in career scoring.
43 - none
44 - Mindy Ballou
Ballou played in the mid 1980s and is third in career assists. But I want to talk about some of the names from the early years of the program: Mindy, MaryJo, Dissy, Dixie, and at least three Betsys. It’s a reminder of a time when women’s basketball players weren’t treated like athletes, but little girls (check out the Lady Techsters’ sleeved uniforms for further evidence).
45 - Jocelyn Penn
Only one other player wore 45, but JP is an easy pick. She was a member of the 2002 Elite Eight team and averaged 16.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in her career, including 23.9 points and 8.0 rebounds as a senior. Penn is also South Carolina’s career leader in steals, holds the top two scoring games (51 and 50 points), and is fifth in career points.
50 - Renee Najarian
Najarian is the only player to wear this number. She averaged 10 points and 6.9 rebounds during two seasons in the mid-80s.
51 - Shanta Jeffcoat
Jeffcoat is the only 51. She was a role player in her four seasons, eventually starting 18 games as a senior in 1999-2000.
52 - Tyasha Harris
With apologies to Jewel May, Evelyn Johnson, and Lisa Diaz, all fine players, Harris gets the nod. She is the career leader in assists, tied for the career lead in games played, second in starts, top ten in steals, single season assist leader, and a four-year starter at point guard during the golden era of Gamecock basketball.
53 - Sheila Foster (retired)
This one is easy, and not because Foster is the only player to ever wear this number. Foster was South Carolina’s first great player, leading the Gamecocks to a AIAW third place finish in 1980 and remains South Carolina’s career leader in rebounds and second in scoring. At the conclusion of her senior year in 1982, Foster was the first women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired, and in 1993 was the first female athlete inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
54 - None
55 - Larissa Kulcsar
Slim pickings here - the four players who have worn 55 all averaged under 4.0 points for their careers. I’ll take Kulcsar because she played four seasons. That’s the best reason I’ve got.
What sparked the idea for this list was working on recruiting stories. I noticed how many top high school players wear 22. Saniya Rivers, who headlines South Carolina's talented 2021 class, wears it. It’s easy to tell who popularized it: A’ja Wilson.
As noted above, South Carolina will not retire Wilson’s number due to university policy, but is almost certain to retire her jersey as soon as Wilson is eligible. Retiring a jersey does not take the number out of rotation, but as I said before, it’s hard to imagine 22 being handed out to just anybody. Although a statue is already in the works, there is a five year waiting period to retire a jersey, meaning Wilson will be eligible in 2023. She easily meets the basic requirements, which require an athlete to be a university record holder (check), consensus all-american (check), consensus national player of the year (check), Olympic medalist while at South Carolina (no), or three-time first- or second-team all-SEC (check).
The process for retiring a jersey begins with a recommendation by the head coach to the athletics director, and once approved by the athletics director the recommendation goes to a committee. The committee is composed of the athletics director or designee, both a male and female head coach, a former recipient (if available), a member of the Lettermen's Association, and board member of Intercollegiate Activities Committee of the Board of Trustees.