Agot Makeer provides spark that carries South Carolina women's basketball to Final Four

Less than six minutes into South Carolina’s Elite Eight contest against TCU, South Carolina trailed by six. The deficit marked the Gamecocks’ first in the NCAA Tournament, and they needed answers fast.

Head coach Dawn Staley turned to her self-proclaimed x-factor off the bench. With 4:16 to go in the first quarter, Agot Makeer checked in for the first time on the night.

In the final four minutes of the quarter, Makeer quickly left her mark. A quick assist 18 seconds into her day cut it to four. A couple of minutes later, her second field goal of the game tied it at 14.

That kind of clutch factor stayed with Makeer the rest of the night. When South Carolina needed her the most, she was there. By the final buzzer sounded, Makeer secured her first trip to the Final Four with a career-high 18 points and a Sacramento 4 at Golden 1 Center All-Region team spot.

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The Gamecocks fell back behind early in the second quarter as two quick TCU threes gave the Horned Frogs momentum. TCU quickly found itself up four with a chance to go up seven.

However, Makeer cut it off as the long-armed freshman gave the Gamecocks their first three of the night. Suddenly, the deficit was back to one.

While the first half saw the freshman guard show up in key moments, the second half saw her explode in the box score. Makeer contributed 11 points in the second half, playing 18 of 20 minutes. Additionally, her opening steal and score in the fourth quarter kick-started a 14-point South Carolina run to pull away for good.

“She’s been being patient,” South Carolina junior Tessa Johnson said of her game. “… We keep telling her her time is coming, and she’s showing it out there now.”

Staley said Makeer is probably hurting a little bit physically. Makeer missed time throughout the Gamecocks regular season with injuries.

“I think this is the healthiest stretch she’s been. She’s probably still hurting a little bit but she’s fighting through,” Staley said. “She’s fighting through for herself, and she’s fighting through for us to advance in this tournament, and she’s become a vital piece to our success.”

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When the final buzzer sounded, Makeer and Staley shared an embrace as the freshman punched her ticket to her first Final Four. South Carolina, as a program, clinched its sixth trip in a row and eighth total.

“The little hug and stuff is we’re here, and we’re ready to go. I think we’re excited to go to Phoenix,” Makeer said.

Staley is just proud of her young Gamecock. She always knew Makeer was talented; it was a matter of when it would click for her.

“We never stopped thinking about the contributions that Agot can give to us,” Staley said. ” … She’s playing lights out, she’s making great plays on both sides of the ball.”

Makeer feels her mindset changed as South Carolina entered the SEC Tournament. When the postseason began, she felt Staley and the staff challenged her to elevate her play to the spotlight.

“And I feel like it wasn’t just one-dimensional thinking. I just wanted to go and do whatever I can to get the team to win,” Makeer said. “So, just in this tournament, I’ve thought [about] whatever I can do to get this team a win, is what I need to do.”

In addition to exceeding double figures in four straight games, Makeer has eclipsed her regular-season career high in three of four NCAA Tournament games. As the calendar turns to April and the Final Four approaches, she feels she’s in a flow state.

We just really challenged her to go out there and be who she is,” Staley said. “I mean, she’s had a tremendous postseason. And her future is bright.”

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