SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s basketball didn’t pause for Hootie & the Blowfish or Alabama, so here’s what you missed over the weekend.

The weekend began early, on Thursday morning, when the Gamecocks unveiled their theme for the upcoming season: “Woman Up.” In a video that heavily featured Champ Staley, Dawn Staley explained that the theme is meant to inspire players, fans and coaches to empower women and dream big (including men).

The Gamecocks are also releasing videos featuring individual players and what the theme means to them. Mikiah Herbert Harrigan was first, on Friday. Olivia Thompson is second, with her video being released Monday night.

On Friday sophomore Elysa Wesolek, along with TJ Moss, was in Birmingham for the Southeastern Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Council. One player from each men’s and women’s basketball team is selected to attend.

Also on Friday top 50 player Treasure Hunt announced her top five. What she didn’t announce was that she’d be in Columbia for her official visit to South Carolina.

Hunt made the announcement on Twitter and Instagram, and revealed her finalists as South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Baylor, the lone non-SEC program.

Hunt is the 28th-ranked overall recruit and fifth-ranked wing. At 6-2, Hunt is a good shooter, but is physical for a wing, and she is coming off an impressive summer that has caused her stock to rise. Hunt took an unofficial visit to South Carolina in late June. In August, Hunt participated in the Steph Curry Camp and the Slam Summer Classic.

The Gamecocks also hosted guard Eniya Russell. Dawn Staley, Jolette Law, and Fred Chmiel visited Russell on September 9, following her official visit to Kentucky. Russell also took an official visit to Indiana in the spring. The 5-10 Russell is the 48th ranked overall prospect and 15th ranked guard. Her top five are Indiana, Kentucky, Miami, Georgetown and South Carolina.

While visiting Russell, the Gamecocks also had an in-home visit with 6-3 wing Angel Reese. Reese is the top unsigned prospect in the nation, ranked second overall. Reese also hosted the other USC, Southern Cal, on Tuesday. She has taken her first two official visits, at home-state Maryland, and at Tennessee the past two weekends. She will visit Southern Cal and Syracuse the next two weekends before wrapping things up at South Carolina October 4-6.

Aside from recruiting, this will be a busy week for Staley. The USA Basketball Women's National Team will have three training sessions in Miami this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The training is in preparation for the FIBA AmeriCup, which will take place from September 22-30 in Puerto Rico.

With the WNBA playoffs still in progress, many players are unavailable to travel to Miami. That opened the door for another Gamecock, former point guard Khadijah Sessions. Sessions will be a practice player in Miami. She won’t be eligible for the final Olympic roster, but she will help fill out the roster for the AmeriCup. Current Gamecock point guard Tyasha Harris had a similar role during practices in Columbia last year.