COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball legend Tiffany Mitchell, who was an integral part of the Gamecocks surge to national prominence under Coach Dawn Staley, will have her jersey retired later this year.
The school announced Wednesday Mitchell will have the honor at a pregame ceremony on November 12 before the Gamecocks' game against Maryland at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.
Mitchell was a three-time All-American for the Gamecocks and a two-time SEC Player of the Year. She was the first Gamecock to be named SEC Player of the Year and was their fourth-ever All-American. At the time she finished her playing time in 2016, Mitchell was the most decorated player in program history.
“Retired jerseys may seem cliché for some, but for me, they showcase players of our program who have demonstrated excellence on and off the court,” Staley said in a statement. “It shows the legacy they contributed to women’s basketball and women’s sports. For a player like Tiffany, who believed in Gamecock Women’s Basketball before we ever won a title and bought into the vision from day one, this is incredible. She paved the way for our team to become the best."
Mitchell help lead the team to their first ever SEC Regular-Season Championship in 2013-14 and guided them to two more the following season. In 2015, she led the team to their first of four straight SEC Tournament titles.
Mitchell is one of just three Gamecocks to finish her career with at least 1,500 points, 300 assists and 200 steals and remains the only addition to that group since 1996.
Mitchell was also a star in the classroom, and was honored with the Athletics Department’s President’s Award winner in 2016 as the student-athlete who excelled in athletics, academics, community outreach and leadership over the breadth of his/her career. She was also an Academic All-American in 2016.
“I’m completely honored, humbled and blessed knowing that the University wants to retire my jersey,” Mitchell said in part in a statement provided by the school. “Being a part of the foundation and trusting the process with Coach Staley when I was in high school and knowing that I’m laying that foundation for the players after me means a lot to me. The University means a lot to me and definitely has changed my life for the better."
Mitchell was a top-10 pick in the WNBA Draft and currently plays for Minnesota. She also has played internationally in several countries.
She's the second major Gamecock athlete to get their jersey retired in the last week. The football team announced that former wide receiver Alshon Jeffery will have his jersey retired this fall. In April, former Gamecock pitcher Kip Bouknight had his jersey retired, and last fall, Gamecock football star Jadeveon Clowney also saw his jersey get the same honor.
While the jersey will be retired for these players, the number that they wore will not, under the school's standing policy that's been in place for over about 16 years. Retired jerseys are selected by a committee of representatives from the South Carolina Athletics Department, University Board of Trustees, and the USC Lettermen’s Association.
