COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball is hosting the inaugural PowHER Player Classic, a new HBCU tournament, the program announced on Aug. 27.
The Gamecocks will be joined by three HBCUs in Tennessee State, Alabama A&M and NC Central in Colonial Life Arena. Alabama A&M and NC Central will play first on Nov. 28, followed by South Carolina vs. Tennessee State. Nov. 29 will feature consolation and championship games.
Advertisement
Rae Rose Media, which is a “sports centric media company working closely with women’s athletic programs and female athletes to elevate their brands” is working in partnership with the program for the event. There will be a holiday-based community service event on Thanksgiving, with an NIL Marketplace the following day.
“To me, basketball has always been a vehicle for access and opportunities, and our game has grown to where those go well beyond just what happens on the court,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s in the news release. “I am passionate about making sure no young women who pour into our game get left behind in those expanding prospects, regardless of where they play. That was the inspiration for this event and I’m so proud to work with Rae Rose Media to bring it to life this season.”
Staley has scheduled at least one regular-season game against an HBCU in 15 of her 18 seasons in Columbia.
In late 2024, she agreed to break a traditional schedule norm by playing Coppin State in Baltimore by agreeing to a home-and-home series.
Advertisement
In March Madness, the Gamecocks‘ first-round game was against Southern, an HBCU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Staley was asked how the perception of HBCU has changed over time since she first started scheduling non-conference games with the programs and how HBCUs can gain more respect.
“HBCUs have been given sometimes a raw deal because they’re HBCUs and they’re not Power 4s … as you’re seeing, they’re super well-coached,” Staley said. “I do think the more success HBCUs have in a tournament, they will no longer be looked at as playing games and 16 seeds and when you start to see that happen on a more regular basis, then you know that they’re taken a little more seriously and know that they are coached extremely well.”
Two of the three teams in the tournament have a connection to Staley. Former guard Olivia Gaines is the first-year coach of NC Central. Candice Dupree, who coaches Tennessee State played for Staley at Temple.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina, Dawn Staley to host new women’s basketball tournament with 3 HBCUs
