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How Markeshia Grant helped South Carolina women’s basketball, Dawn Staley finish perfect

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How Markeshia Grant helped South Carolina women’s basketball, Dawn Staley finish perfect


COLUMBIA — After South Carolina women’s basketball lost to Iowa in the Final Four on March 31, 2023, it was evident things were going to change.

Coach Dawn Staley lost her starting lineup, including star center Aliyah Boston, and would enter the 2023-24 season with just one senior.

Staley decided to hire former player Markeshia Grant to focus solely on team building.

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“I think sometimes when you are on the court, there are some intense moments and sometimes you say and do things you wouldn’t off the court so if we can jointly work through some team building and life skills while trying to form some chemistry on the court, I think it works hand in hand,” Staley told The Greenville News.

Suddenly, teammates who just met, could share life stories of one another before the regular season began.

Markeshia Grant’s work with South Carolina women’s basketball

Grant played for Staley from 2010-12 and found her way back to the program as a graduate assistant from 2015-17. Staley hired her as an independent contractor as the team building coach, a style of work Grant’s been specializing in for the past four years with her business Savvy Skills, LLC. Savvy Skills helps “students transform the way that they think about life and sports through progressive forward thinking and transformational action.”

When Staley began her annual summer camp in July, players as usual helped out as staff members. Staley knew she had a goofy group and saw that humor, laughter and joy were three common characteristics of this new team.

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Grant noticed the vibe during Staley’s summer camp, too, so she crafted a specific team building plan catered to the Gamecocks’ style. Each session was dedicated time that allowed Grant’s work to focus on who the Gamecocks are off the court.

It began with the first exercise when Grant asked ice-breaker questions and was pleasantly surprised that the players answered them in depth and without issue. What normally takes Grant numerous sessions to succeed, occurred instantly.

“Oh yeah, this team is different,” Grant remembers thinking.

Painting was another highly successful activity which brought out creativity within the players, allowing them to find things out about one another that they didn’t know before. While painting, Grant would start conversations about their time in high school, their families and other personal questions. Soon after, the players could answer personal questions about one another.

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“That tells me they pay attention to each other, to detail, they’re intentional,” said Grant.

Building relationships with South Carolina women’s basketball

Grant’s job is team building, but she is in constant communication with the team’s mental performance coach Dr. Raylene Ross. Although the activities only happened roughly once a month, Grant was always at practice, always around the team.

“(I was) intentional about them being familiar with me, it’s not just a one time thing, it’s not a transactional relationship,” Grant said. “You really have to build relationships with players in order for them to connect with you. I was intentional about being visible and accessible.”

None of the South Carolina coaches were around for the team building sessions, leaving the investment in Grant’s hands entirely. From the jump, Staley thought it was the perfect fit.

“It makes them a little bit more vulnerable to each other and they know whatever happens on the court is happening out of a place of love and hopefully when they are doing their team bonding, it’s a deeper level of understanding that,” said Staley.

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For Tessa Johnson, a freshman last season, Grant’s work was some of her earliest experiences within the program.

“Coming in as a freshman, it’s a little scary, I am leaving my family and I’m coming into a whole new chapter of my life,” Johnson said. “I’m really big with relationships so (team building activities) helped me a lot off the court, and it really helped me on the court because I was able to trust my teammates and build a relationship with each person individually.”

NEXT SEASON: South Carolina women’s basketball looks loaded again in 2024-25 roster under Dawn Staley

Grant’s three pillars of a successful program are good character, culture and chemistry and this new job was a perfect opportunity to bring her skills back to the school she played for.

Another victory for Staley in an undefeated season.

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“For us to win a national championship on top of that, makes it seem like it was genius,” Staley said.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin



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Chihuahua overdoses at South Carolina motel, owners arrested: police report

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Chihuahua overdoses at South Carolina motel, owners arrested: police report


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The owners of a 15-pound chihuahua have pleaded guilty to charges after the dog allegedly overdosed on heroin and cocaine at a motel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, according to police documents.

Myrtle Beach police charged Shane Harris and Serrena Young with mistreatment of an animal after the May 27 incident at the Palmetto Vista Motel. Young was also charged with possession with intent to deliver heroin. They were both taken to the Myrtle Beach Jail.

According to a police report, a Myrtle Beach firefighter gave the dog Narcan, the opioid-reversal medication, using a nebulizer machine after a home health aide who had been with Harris and Young at the motel brought it to the fire station.

The dog received a full nasal dose of Narcan, and after it was revived, it was given oxygen and taken to the Animal Emergency Hospital of the Strand for further care, a police report said.

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Harris, who accompanied the health aide to the fire station, allegedly told authorities that a man came to his motel and left about one gram of heroin on a table and that the dog ate it and became ill.

Police then went to the motel and met with Young, the report said.

While executing a search warrant, detectives say they found a syringe with clear, brown-tinted liquid in a black purse in the bathroom, which later tested positive for heroin and cocaine.

Young admitted to officers that the syringe was hers, the police report shows.

Court records show Harris pleaded guilty to abandonment or mistreatment of an animal, was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and owes more than $1,000 in fines. Young also pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 15 days in jail and more than $700 in fines.

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How to watch the Tony Awards on Sunday

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How to watch the Tony Awards on Sunday


The Tony Awards are Broadway’s biggest night — and Ariana DeBose is hosting again this year. The awards will be broadcast live from Lincoln Center in New York.

How do I watch?

If you have access to broadcast TV, it’s easy: The 77th Annual Tony Awards will be live at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The show will also stream at 8 p.m. on Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ subscribers without Showtime can see it the next day or try a one-week free trial.

If you’d like to see who wins the more technical awards, they will be streamed live on Pluto TV from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Julianne Hough and Utkarsh Ambudkar will host.

Who is performing?

Many of the nominated musicals will be showcased on the Tony Award stage, including Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club with Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin; Hell’s Kitchen, which features the music of Alicia Keys; and the acrobatic cast of Water for Elephants.

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Is there a Hamilton-level hit I should look out for?

Not this year. Hell’s Kitchen is the most-nominated musical. But the buzziest productions are Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, which is up for Best Revival of a Musical and is closing in July, and — surprisingly — a play, Stereophonic, which is the most nominated play ever. That one’s an inside look at a Fleetwood Mac-style band creating an album together. It’s a play with music, not a musical, but it was just announced that the cast will perform at the Tonys.

Are there celebrities?

Yes. An exhaustive list would be… exhausting, but there’s a long list of Broadway legends who are nominated or presenting this year, including Idina Menzel, Ben Platt, Kelli O’Hara, Bebe Neuwirth and Leslie Odom Jr., plus Hollywood stars like Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Rachel McAdams, Taraji P. Henson, Angelina Jolie, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Sean Hayes and Jennifer Hudson. And so. Many. Others.

Who’s going to win?

We don’t know for sure, but the odds are good that Merrily We Roll Along will win Best Musical Revival. Hell’s Kitchen and Stereophonic received 13 nominations each, making them the front-runners for Best Musical and Best Play.

I haven’t been to New York this year — will any of the shows on the telecast be familiar?

If they’re not yet … they probably will be soon. Broadway’s touring business is bustling and most shows will likely come to a stage near you in the next few years. Plus, this year, many of the shows are based on books, movies or music you’ve likely heard of, from The Outsiders and Water for Elephants to Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoise and The Who’s Tommy. If you want to get a taste in advance, many of this season’s shows already have cast albums available on streaming services.

Copyright 2024 NPR

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2024 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 6: South Carolina

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2024 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 6: South Carolina


With the addition of Texas an Oklahoma to the SEC snd elimination of divisions in the Southeastern conference, South Carolina forever gets the distinct honor of being the last SEC East team to beat Alabama in the regular season.

In front of a packed house at Williams-Brice Stadium, the Gamecocks upset Alabama in 2010. The Crimson Tide made the trip back to Columbia in 2019, but South Carolina hasn’t played inside Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2009. That changes this season when Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks roll into Tuscaloosa for Game 6.

Beamer took South Carolina to bowl games in each of his first two seasons as head coach before a disappointing 5-7 finish last season. The Gamecocks got off to a 2-6 start before rallying down the final stretch of the season. Beamer isn’t necessarily on the hot seat heading into 2024, but he can’t afford to get off to another poor start with a challenging SEC slate ahead.

South Carolina’s offense was pass-reliant in 2023 with Spencer Rattler at quarterback and first-rounder Xavier Legette at receiver. Both players are gone now, so offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains will be working with a new QB in his second year with the Gamecocks.

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Beamer named redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers the starter after spring football. Sellers appeared on three games for South Carolina last season with just four total pass attempts, but two touchdowns against Furman.

Not only did the Gamecocks not have an individual 1000-yard rusher last season, but the offense barely crossed 1,000 yards total rushing as a team. Leading rusher Mario Anderson transferred to Memphis, but Beamer added two running backs out of the portal in North Texas’ Oscar Adaway III and Arkansas’ Raheim Sanders. The former Arkansas back missed time with injury last season, but 1443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022.

Returner Nyck Harbor (12 catches for 195 yards) and transfers Ahmari Huggins-Bruce (Louisville) and Jared Brown (Coastal Carolina) will look to pick up the production gap left behind by Legette. With a lot of new faces to work into the offense at the skill positions, South Carolina does bring back a lot of experience along the offensive line. All five starters up front have at least one start under their belt with the Gamecocks. The O-line will need to show improvement after allowing 41 sacks a season ago.

Defensive coordinator Clayton White has been with Beamer all three seasons in Columbia so far, but has never had a defense finish higher than 41st in the country. They have really struggled the past two seasons finishing 89th in 2022 and 90th in 2023, allowing nearly 400 yards per game last season.

South Carolina obviously needs to improve on those numbers if it wants to have more success in 2024. The defense is headlined by all-SEC linebacker Debo Williams, who led the Gamecocks with 113 tackles a year ago.

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The Gamecocks have three talented returners leading in the secondary with sophomore Jalon Kilgore, who earned freshman all-American honors with 76 tackles and an interception last season in 10 starts, junior Nick Emmanwori and redshirt senior O’Donnell Fortune.

Junior defensive tackle T.J. Sanders led South Carolina with 4.5 sacks last season and looks to build on that breakout season in his redshirt junior campaign alongside redshirt senior Tonka Hemingway.

South Carolina faces Alabama in the middle of a brutal three-game stretch for the Gamecocks against three straight projected top-25 teams starting with Ole Miss at home followed by road games at Alabama and Oklahoma.

For Alabama, the schedule will be a little lighter at this point with a matchup at Vanderbilt the week before. However, the Crimson Tide does have a big road game at Tennessee after facing South Carolina, so Alabama could get caught looking ahead. Both the Crimson Tide and Gamecocks will have already had one of their two bye weeks for the season ahead of this matchup in September.

Alabama will likely by double-digit home favorites over South Carolina for this mid-October matchup. Both teams should be settled into the season by this point, but the Gamecocks have a lot more questions surrounding their team than the Crimson Tide. Jalen Milroe will be returning as starting quarterback for Alabama, and South Carolina will either be breaking in a redshirt freshman or transfer at the position.

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Beamer has done a good job trying to turn around the South Carolina program over the last three years, but Alabama still has a much deeper and more talented roster.

South Carolina only has one win in Tuscaloosa all time (2004), and I don’t see that changing this season.

Date: Oct. 12

Time: 11 a.m. CT

TV: TBD

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Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium

Series history: Alabama leads, 11-4

Last meeting: Alabama beat South Carolina 47-23 in Columbia in 2019. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 444 yards and five touchdowns.

Coach: Shane Beamer, fourth season, 20-18 record

Offensive coordinator: Dowell Loggains

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Defensive coordinator: Clayton White

2023 record: 5-7 (3-5 SEC)

2023 rankings: Total offense (83rd), Total defense (90th)

Returning Starters

11 (four on offense, seven on defense)

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Players to Watch

RB Raheim Sanders, WR Nyck Harbor, LB Debo Williams, DT Tonka Hemingway, DB Nick Emmanwori, DB Jalon Kilgore

Top Newcomer:

Arkansas transfer running back Raheim Sanders will bring a new dynamic to the South Carolina offense if he can stay healthy. His career with the Razorbacks was hampered by injuries, but he has 2,230 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns in his career.

Biggest Question

Will Sellers be able to settle into the starting quarterback job, or will Beamer have to turn to Auburn transfer Robbie Ashford or Pitt transfer Davis Beville?

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Location: Columbia, South Carolina

Founded: 1801

Enrollment: 53,455

Nickname: Gamecocks

Colors: Garnet, black and white

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Mascot: Sir Big Spur

Last time beat Alabama: 2010

Last time won SEC: Never

Last time won SEC East: 2010

National championships: None

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Playoff Appearances: None

Conference championships: 1 (1969 in ACC)

Bowl record: 10-15

Last season missed bowl: 2023

Heisman trophies: 1 (George Rogers- 1980)

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2024 NFL Draft:

Last four recruiting class rankings: No. 22 (2024), No. 16 (2023), No. 24 (2022), No. 80 (2021)

Aug. 31: Old Dominion
Sept. 7: at Kentucky
Sept. 14: LSU
Sept. 21: Akron
Oct. 5: Ole Miss
Oct. 12: at Alabama
Oct. 19: at Oklahoma
Nov. 2: Texas A&M
Nov. 9: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 16: Missouri
Nov. 23: Wofford
Nov. 30: at Clemson



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