Earlier this week, South Carolina’s women’s basketball team made a stunning announcement: French phenom Alicia Tournebize has signed with the school and will join the team after the holiday break. Tournebize, a 6-foot-7 center who has been playing professionally in France for Bourges Basket, will be eligible to play immediately.
“Alicia has an incredible skill set and basketball IQ,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in a press release. “She has great touch around the rim, can shoot it out to the 3-point line and is a shot blocker. We’re excited that she and her family chose to bring her game to Columbia, and the FAMS are going to enjoy what she adds to our team on the court and off.”
Ahead of South Carolina’s return to action on Dec. 28 against Providence, let’s take a closer look at this unique midseason acquisition. Who is Tournebize, and how could she help the Gamecocks’ title hopes?
The basics
- Position: Center
- Height: 6-feet-7
- Previous club: Bourges Basket
- Country: France
- Age: 18
Tournebize has been a name to watch among international prospects for a few years, but she really burst onto the scene this summer due to her breakout performance for France at the FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket tournament. She averaged 12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks on 54.9% shooting to help France win the bronze medal, and was named to the All-Star Five.
During the bronze medal game against Belgium, she threw down a huge two-handed slam that went viral.
Tournebize has been playing professionally for Bourges Basket, who participate in La Boulangère Wonderligue (the top professional women’s basketball league in France) and EuroLeague (a pan-European competition to crown the best team on the continent, akin to the Champions League in soccer).
Due to her age and inexperience, Tournebize played sparingly for Bourges this season in both the LBW and EuroLeague. Her stats were almost identical in both competitions: 7.6 minutes, 2.9 points, 1.7 rebounds in the LBW and 7.3 minutes, 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in EuroLeague.
Why now?
Player development
We don’t have a specific answer from Tournebize, who was not quoted in South Carolina’s press release, and only gave a brief quote in Bourges’ press release that did not address her decision-making process.
“Bourges has helped me grow, both on and off the court. I am leaving today with everything I have learned here and with the desire to proudly represent the colors of my training club,” Tournebize said, as translated into English.
A statement from the club, again translated into English, does note that the move was made to “prioritize the player’s development. Here’s Bourges’ statement:
“This decision, which was carefully considered and reached through respectful dialogue, reflects the shared desire of both parties to prioritize the player’s development while preserving the club’s sporting integrity, in accordance with the mutual commitments set out in a settlement agreement.”
As previously mentioned, Tournebize was playing limited minutes for Bourges this season, and it’s difficult for teenagers to earn more substantial roles overseas. At South Carolina, there’s a clear pathway for Tournebize to become one of the Gamecocks’ key players — if not this season, then certainly in years to come.
Staley is also one of the best coaches in all of basketball, and has a proven track record of developing bigs into top WNBA draft picks. Tournebize will have a chance to follow in the footsteps of A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso.
Family history
It’s also worth noting that Tournebize’s mother, French legend Isabelle Fijalkowski, came over to the States and played college basketball for Colorado before going on to the WNBA. Tournebize’s mother would have been able to advise her on the benefits of playing college basketball.
Potential payday?
In terms of money, South Carolina’s release stated that Tournebize was on a “training-intern contract.” It’s unclear how much she was making for Bourges, but the nature of her status as a “training-intern” suggests it wasn’t a lucrative deal. There are restrictions on international student athletes’ ability to make money through NIL deals and direct payments from schools, but it is now possible, if complicated, for them to get paid.
Depending on what South Carolina is able to work out, it is possible Tournebize could earn more in Columbia than she was in France.
What does Tournebize bring to the Gamecocks?
Size
Tournebize’s size is an obvious benefit. At 6-foot-7, she will immediately be the tallest player on the team, and one of the tallest players in the country. Per CBB Analytics, there are currently only six Division I women’s basketball players standing 6-foot-7 or taller.
Sania Feagin graduated and the Gamecocks are missing both Ashlyn Watkins (away from basketball) and Chloe Kitts (torn ACL) this season, which has decimated their frontcourt depth. Madina Okot and Joyce Edwards are the only players above 6-foot-1 who play significant minutes.
Due to injuries, the Gamecocks have often had only eight available players, and simply having another player who can contribute will be a big boost. (South Carolina’s 17.5 bench points per game ranks 198th in the country.) That Tournebize will help their frontcourt depth is even better for Staley.
Tournebize is slim, and may struggle at times to deal with more physical players in the paint. A full offseason with South Carolina will help change that moving forward, though.
Athleticism
Tournebize moves very well for her size, and can get up and down the floor. She’s also agile with good footwork and lateral mobility, which helps her in halfcourt situations on both sides of the ball. And, of course, there aren’t many players throwing down dunks like she did this summer for France.
Paint presence
Tournebize’s size makes her a real presence in the paint on both sides of the ball. At U18 EuroBasket this summer, she scored efficiently around the basket, and was fourth in rebounds and fourth in blocks for the tournament. Again, she needs to become stronger, but her height and length will help her make an immediate impact.
Mid-range game
Tournebize rarely steps behind the arc, but she is comfortable in the mid-range, where she has a smooth jumper. For a team that takes 62.4% of its field goal attempts in the paint, having a big who can provide any kind of spacing is going to be helpful.
Tournebize is only 18 years old, and will be adjusting to a new country, a new coaching staff, new teammates and a new league. She’s not going to step on the floor and immediately start dominating, and she may not even play that much, especially initially.
However, Staley wouldn’t have brought her over midseason if she didn’t think she could help, and adding a player as talented as Tournebize is a real boost for the Gamecocks. Other title contenders are not making this sort of addition ahead of the new year. The 12-1 Gamecocks, who lost in the national championship game last season, are ranked No. 3 in the country and are one of the main contenders looking to knock UConn off its throne.
How does this affect Tournebize’s WNBA Draft prospects?
One of the more interesting aspects of this move is that it actually delays Tournebize’s WNBA draft eligibility.
Under the current rules — which could be subject to change in the new collective bargaining agreement — international prospects must turn 20 in the year in which the draft takes place, while domestic prospects must turn 22 in the the year in which the draft takes place.
Once Tournebize begins playing in the NCAA, that will make her a domestic prospect.
If Tournebize had stayed overseas, she would have been eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. Now, barring any changes to the rules, she’ll have to wait for the 2029 WNBA Draft.
Has this ever happened before?
While Tournebize is the most high-profile example, she is not the first international player to sign with a school during the middle of the season.
Auburn added Chinese guard Yuting Deng in January just last season (Deng has since transferred and now plays for Baylor), and Egyptian center Jana El Alfy joined UConn in January of 2023, though she did not play with the team until the following season. Furthermore, two Australian prospects, center Callie Hinder (Arizona) and forward Zoe Jackson (Indiana) will join their respective schools this January, though both plan to redshirt and will not play this season.
There are also examples of this happening on the men’s side of college basketball. Israeli center Yonatan Levy joined UW-Green Bay in January last season (he has since transferred to Pepperdine) and Russian big man Kirill Elatontsev will suit up for Oklahoma starting in January.