COLUMBIA, S.C. — In this day and age of the portal, rosters are fluid and can change at a moment’s notice, and that is the case with the South Carolina women’s basketball program, which is losing a guard.
Talaysia Cooper is leaving the Gamecock program as she has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
As a freshman, the 6-0 point guard played in 24 games, averaging 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
South Carolina went 36-1 and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Head coach Dawn Staley is now sitting at 11 scholarships with Cooper’s exit, four below the maximum of 15.
Cooper came to South Carolina after a stellar career at East Clarendon High School, where she was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and a McDonald’s All-American as a senior. In eighth grade, she helped the Wolverines capture their first state championship in 2021 and went on to surpass 3,000 points for her high school career. She also had her #10 jersey retired at East Clarendon on Senior Night in 2022.