The No. 3-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks have made dominance feel like an every-other-day routine in the 2025-26 NCAA season. But while the grind of the SEC series continues, head coach Dawn Staley has found a moment to pause and reinforce what playing for the program truly means.

During a recent Instagram live session, Staley gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at a surprise $388 billion luxury locker room moment that reflected the culture she’s built.

“We brought Paris to Columbia in two ways,” the coach said. “So one of our donors is buying a pair of sneakers for the players. So we just had to bring other stuff just in case y’all want to buy stuff. But you’ve got to buy that on your own. With a credit card. But sneakers, right!”

The destination? Louis Vuitton.

The sneakers, covered by a donor, were a reward for the team’s strong conference run so far, where they haven’t lost a single match. But this gesture wasn’t just about another pair; it was about reinforcing a championship identity.

However, when Staley said she brought Paris to Columbia “in two ways,” it wasn’t accidental phrasing. Freshman Alicia Tournebize, a 6-foot-7 giant from Vichy, France, joined the Gamecocks this midseason after playing professionally for Tango Bourges Basket overseas. As the first documented French woman to dunk in a game, combining it with elite shooting range and pro-level experience at just 18 years old, she can bring immediate impact on an already strong team.

The second way was cultural.

Dawn Staley, herself, shares a history with the French luxury fashion house. With her fits often making headlines of their own, she has already earned the fan-given nickname “Louis Vuitton Dawn.” Just last season, during the national title game, the Gamecocks’ coach showed up with a black Louis Vuitton tracksuit, paired with matching LV sneakers. That tracksuit alone carried a price tag of $14,263.

But while the Gamecocks remain fully locked into the ongoing season, the program’s vision already stretches well beyond it. Back in November 2025, South Carolina announced that it would return to France to open the 2026–27 season, facing Maryland in Paris on Nov. 2, 2026. The Gamecocks know that stage well, having taken part in the historic first Oui Play event in 2023, when they defeated Notre Dame in the first regular-season game ever played in Paris and went on a 38-0 run.

But this season is far from over.

Where are Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks headed next?

Widely considered as one of the strongest contenders for this year’s championship title, the Gamecocks currently sit at 16-1 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. The only loss they have suffered so far came against the Texas Longhorns in a highly contested game that ended with 66-64. But they will get their chance to take them on again.

With a 9-game winning streak so far, the team is being led by Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards with the most points (21.1) and the most steals (1.9) in a game. But their dominance extends well beyond one player. Offensively, as a whole, the Gamecocks average 91.2 points per game, while holding off their opponents to just 54.2. And that balance was on full display in the Gamecocks’ 93–58 road win at Arkansas on Jan. 8, a game in which Tournebize practiced but did not see the floor.

While her arrival has generated excitement among the fans, Dawn Staley has made it clear she’s in no rush to force her debut. But the upcoming home game against Georgia on Jan. 11 looms as a potential opportunity, where she can test the waters with her before high-ranked games. The Gamecocks will host the Bulldogs before a brutal stretch that includes No. 2 Texas, followed by ranked matchups against Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.

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Staley “doesn’t want to just throw (Tournebize) out there,” but still she acknowledged that her debut should come “hopefully soon.”

For now, with South Carolina continuing to dominate their conference and operate on its own timeline, the Gamecocks remain exactly where they expect to be – at the top!