Olivia Thompson and Elysa Wesolek don’t play much, but from the moment they walk to the scorer’s table to every time they touch the ball the crowd starts buzzing. This season they could be more than simply garbage time fan favorites.

Thompson averaged 5.0 minutes in 22 games played, averaging 1.7 points on 31% from three. She had ten points (and her only two two-point baskets of the season) in the first game of her career against Alabama State. She never matched that production, but that didn’t stop the crowd from gasping in anticipation whenever she caught the ball. I suggested last season that nobody had more pressure on her than Thompson because every time she got near the ball, the crowd expected the Lexington native and lifelong Gamecock fan to drain a three.

Wesolek wasn't much different. She’s also a Palmetto State native (Charleston), she also averaged 5.0 minutes, although in 20 games played, with 1.4 points per game. Like Thompson, she made 31% of her threes last season, her career-high is ten points, and it came early in her freshman year against ETSU.

Both have gotten almost all of their playing time at the end of blowouts. By my unofficial count, each has played meaningful minutes just once. As a freshman, Dawn Staley once put Wesolek in to try to light a fire under the other bigs, who were sleep-waking through the game. And Thompson got in as a zone-buster last season at Alabama, another game where South Carolina wasn’t quite as sharp as it could have been.

That’s why, despite their limited playing time, they are on the team: they know their roles, they play hard, and they play smart (both are on the SEC Academic Honor Roll). And that’s why, over the summer, Staley surprised Thompson, who spent her freshman season as a walk-on, by putting her on scholarship.

In fact, most fans probably wish the pair, especially Thompson, were a little less disciplined. Who cares about making the extra pass and playing within the offense when the game is already in hand. Launch some threes!

It’s possible both could see more playing time this season. The Gamecocks are thin on the front line, with just Aliyah Boston, Victoria Saxton, and Laeticia Amihere natural fits at the four and five. It’s unlikely that Wesolek will get regular rotation minutes, but if somebody gets in foul trouble she might be called on to steal a few minutes, especially in the first half. She’s a willing rebounder, and her outside shooting can

Thompson may be the best pure shooter on the team, with her quick release. She struggled defensively last season, and that kept her from playing more. Thompson doesn’t have to become a lockdown defender, she just needs to hold her own. That will allow Staley to put Thompson in the game to space the floor, especially against teams that try to zone Boston. In an interview with The Athletic, Staley said, “We need her shot,” adding that the coaches are constantly figuring out ways to find opportunities for Thompson.

There are only so many minutes to go around at guard, and the backcourt is crowded with Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke, Destiny Littleton, Eniya Russell, and LeLe Grissett all battling for guard minutes with Thompson.

And if they don’t break into the rotation? They’ll still electrify the crowd every time they they walk to the scorer’s table at the end of a blowout.