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South Carolina women's basketball: Laeticia Amihere picked by Dream

On3 imageby:Chris Wellbaum•04/10/23•

ChrisWellbaum

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Laeticia Amihere (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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Laeticia Amihere was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the eighth pick in the WNBA Draft.

Amihere becomes the 15th Gamecock selected in the WNBA Draft and the 11th of the Dawn Staley era. She was the second Gamecock drafted Monday, following Aliyah Boston (first overall).

At the draft, Amihere had pictures of her late brother and grandmother, both of whom passed away before last season, at her table. After her name was announced, Amihere kissed each picture. Later she talked about growing up with her fellow freshies.

“It’s an amazing experience really because this group of girls have been through life together,” she said. “These four years haven’t been only about basketball, but it’s about growing as women together. Being able to be with them on one of our biggest nights has just been an amazing experience.”

Amihere was a career reserve for the Gamecocks who blossomed when injuries forced her into emergency duty at point guard during her junior season. She also played for the Canadian senior national team, and played in the Tokyo Olympics. Amihere is the highest-drafted Canadian player in the last ten years, and she wore her Olympic necklace as a nod to her home country.

” I’m wearing my Olympic necklace because it just means so much for me,” she said. “But what means the most to me is those little girls that are looking. I have a nonprofit, and building up the women that are underserved and those women that are not getting those exposures, like the powerhouses in the United States and the bigger countries that have that, is my biggest goal. All those Canadians and all those people that are not only Canadian but in West Africa in countries that are underserved and overlooked, you can make it. I promise you can because I was that kid, and I’m on the biggest stage now. I’m trying to pave a way for all those young women.”

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Amihere had mostly played forward during her first two seasons, but transitioned to the backcourt as a senior. The move highlighted Amihere’s length, athleticism, and versatility. That seemed to catch the eye of WNBA scouts, who think Amihere will have more room to operate at the next level, something Dawn Staley kept telling Amihere.

“She said, L.A., don’t worry. That’s what she would always say, because obviously I’m not getting as many minutes as I would at a different program,” Amihere said. “She said, L.A., don’t worry, I got you. She stood with that promise, and I’m here now because of her and because of the coaching staff that believed in me. I’m so thankful for who she is and what she has done for my journey.”

Amihere helped lead the Gamecocks to the consensus #1 ranking before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled. She led the Gamecocks to three Final Fours and the wire-to-wire national championship in 2022. 

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Atlanta has undergone a rapid rebuild in the last year, beginning with the selection of Rhyne Howard with the first pick in last year’s draft. The Dream selected Hayley Jones earlier Monday night, and traded for former Gamecock Allisha Gray in the offseason.

“Rhyne is a phenomenal player. Obviously she was in the SEC and I had multiple opportunities playing against her, and I also played against her in high school,” Amihere said. “Just a phenomenal player, and I’m excited to finally be with her instead of playing against her.”

The WNBA preseason starts on May 5, and the regular season starts on May 19. Atlanta’s first game is May 20 at Dallas.

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