COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley announced today the hiring of Gamecock alumnus Khadijah Sessions as an assistant coach.
New NCAA legislation that went into effect on July 1 allowed for the increase in Staley’s staff and the addition of her former point guard, who has been coaching at the high school level for several years.
“There are few people who understand and embody what our program is about like Khadijah,” Staley said. “From her vision and communication as a point guard to how she translated that into coaching at the high school level, she is ready for this move into the college ranks. I can’t wait to watch and help her develop in our sport.”
In her four seasons in a Gamecock uniform (2013-16), Sessions helped South Carolina to three SEC regular-season championships and a pair of SEC tournament titles. A three-year starter, she was part of the program’s first NCAA Final Four team as a junior in 2014-15 and was named a captain the following season. After graduation, Sessions spent a season playing overseas in Finland and later helped the United States to gold in the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup, a team coached by Staley.
“I’m super excited to be joining Coach Staley and the staff,” Sessions said. “I gave every inch of me to this university as a player, and I’m ready to do the same as an assistant coach. I absolutely love the University of South Carolina, and to be doing this alongside the GOAT – I couldn’t ask for a better college start. Coaching is something I take pride in, and I’m just ready to get to work, learn and grow.”
After retiring as a player, Sessions turned to coaching, privately training young basketball players in the Columbia area, and leading a youth AAU team. In August 2020, she moved to join Ridge View High School as its junior varsity head coach and an assistant coach for its varsity squad. She closed out her two seasons with the Blazers, with the varsity team claiming the 2022 5A State Championship. Throughout her time coaching, she has seen 10 of her players go on to play at the college level.
Sessions graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality, restaurant, and tourism management.