WBB: Thompson put on scholarship

Wednesday evening the Gamecocks surprised walk-on guard Olivia Thompson by putting her on scholarship.

In her season wrap-up press conference, Dawn Staley said there were no plans to put Thompson on scholarship. Either she was playing it coy, or she changed her mind. Thompson found out during a Zoom meeting Wednesday night, following the Gamecocks’ first day of on-court workouts as a team. Laeticia Amihere, Thompson’s roommate, gave her a gift basket and card with a congratulatory message revealing that she was now on scholarship.

The scholarship is the culmination of a lifelong dream for Thompson. She grew up a Gamecock fan in Lexington, and turned down scholarship offers from Division II schools to walk-on for her favorite team. The sharpshooter quickly became a fan favorite when she scored 10 points in seven minutes in last season’s opening game against Alabama State.

Thompson played sparingly throughout the season, usually at the end of blowouts. But she remained a fan favorite greeted with cheers when she walked to the scorer’s table to check in, and gasps of anticipation every time she touched the ball. Thompson appeared in 22 games, playing an average of five minutes, with a season-high of 14 minutes against Ole Miss. For the season she averaged 1.7 points and shot 30.6% from three.

Putting Thompson on scholarship will have minimal consequence for South Carolina’s roster going forward. South Carolina still has four available scholarships this season. If the 2021 signing class of Saniya Rivers, Sania Feagin, Raven Johnson, and Bree Hall remains intact and there are no departures, South Carolina projects to have one left for the 2021-22 season. There are five available the following season when Thompson will be a senior.