South Carolina women's basketball prepares for Paris
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South Carolina leaves Wednesday afternoon for a week in Paris. Surely by Tuesday night everyone was packed and ready to go.
“The majority of our team has not packed,” junior Bree Hall said, before admitting, “I have not packed yet, but I’ll pack tomorrow.”
Dawn Staley is a veteran of international travel, whether from her overseas playing career or time with USA Basketball as a player and coach, so she has a less laissez-faire approach.
“I told them, a few days ago, I told them, don’t be up all night like me,” Staley said. “It’s hard packing, I packed (Monday) night, I stayed up and said I’m just gonna knock it out. I put (out) Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, put our itinerary out. And I just lined up what we needed it. Hopefully, they’ll have some organization to what they’re doing and how they’re packing. They probably won’t.”
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It is the first international trip for a number of players. MiLaysia Fulwiley said she has never left the United States and the furthest she has traveled is California. Hall said her only international trip was to the Bahamas her freshman season, “but that’s not the same.”
Kamilla Cardoso has traveled with the Brazilian national team, and several other players have international experience. Chloe Kitts, Sania Feagin, Raven Johnson, and Te-Hina Poapao have each traveled with USA basketball. But this is a different kind of trip.
“It’s a game of course, and we’re going to be serious about playing the game,” Staley said. “But we’re also going to be serious about just getting them to open their minds up to international travel and seeing landmarks that you only can read about in books, experiencing that. It’s cool, but it is a business trip.
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There will be some downtime for players to explore on their own, although Staley assured parents “I’m responsible for them” and there will be some adult supervision.
Organized activities include a lunch with the mayor of Paris, a visit to the Eiffel Tower, a dinner cruise on the Seine, a trip to the Louvre, a visit to a fashion house, and an open practice. (For security reasons South Carolina is not sharing the exact schedule.)
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I want them to enjoy the trip, I want it to be educational for them, I want it to be fun for them. I want them to experience life. We’ll be there for a few days and we’ll be able to kind of enjoy it before we just bear down and get ready to actually prep (for Notre Dame),” Staley said. “I hope they will utilize their phones to take pictures and create a Paris album on their phones, and they can share it with their families.”
Fulwiley and Hall both said they are most looking forward to playing a real game and hopefully getting a win, but they will enjoy the experience. Fulwiley can’t wait to go shopping.
“Shop definitely, and sightsee,” she said. “I just want to have fun and just enjoy life.”
Hall just wants to be a tourist and take in the sights.
“Oh, I’m very excited for that,” she said. “I’ve never been to Paris. So that’s just one thing. I think it’ll be a great experience.”
But by the weekend it will be all basketball.
“Friday is when it’s time for us to get on the court and get it. We’re gonna go hard at it,” Staley said. “You’ve got to be able to compartmentalize your life and be able to enjoy it and also know when to flip the switch and get ready to do the business that we’re there to do.”
