Columbia It seemed clear that things would change when South Carolina women’s basketball lost to Iowa in the 2023 Final Four on March 31.

With just one senior in her starting lineup going into the 2023–24 season, coach Dawn Staley lost her starting group, which included star center Aliyah Boston.

Staley made the decision to appoint former player Markeshia Grant to handle team building exclusively.

“I think it works hand in hand if we can jointly work through some team building and life skills while trying to form some chemistry on the court,” Staley told The Greenville News. “I think there are some intense moments and sometimes you say and do things you wouldn’t off the court.”

Before the regular season started, players who had just recently gotten to know one another could suddenly exchange life tales.

Grant was a player for Staley from 2010 to 2012, and from 2015 to 2017, she returned to the program as a graduate assistant. Grant, who has been focusing in team development work for the previous four years with her business Savvy Skills, LLC, was engaged by Staley as an independent contractor. Savvy Skills assists “students transform the way that they think about life and sports through progressive forward thinking and transformational action.”