For Dawn Staley, her players are like her children. “I never gave birth to a child, but I’ve come close, having so many current and former players,” She said in 2024. “I know what a mother’s love feels like.” So, when some of her kids are trapped in a war thousands of miles away from their home country, a mother tends to get worried. Dawn Staley sent her prayers to some of her former players in Israel.  

“Please pray for our @GamecockWBB, @TiffMitch25, @2121Mikiah, and @dstnylttltn24 who are in a war zone in Israel!!  We are working a plan to get home.  Let us pray for our loved ones to return home safely asap!  Thank you in advance. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾” She wrote praying for her former players Tiffany Mitchell, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and Destiny Littleton. 

Harrigan finished her career second in blocked shots in the Gamecocks’ program history. She joined Alaina Coates and A’ja Wilson as the only Gamecocks to amass over 1,000 points and 200 blocks in their careers. Mitchell won the SEC player of the year twice during her time there. Destiny helped the Gamecocks to two SEC Tournament championships, an SEC regular-season title, an NCAA Final Four and the 2022 National Championship. After their successful careers, they are now playing in the Israeli Premier League. 

If you are not up to speed, escalating regional tensions have caused reported missile activity in Israel. Residents in several cities have been advised to shelter in place, including areas near Tel Aviv. On February 27, the US Embassy in Israel released an advisory against traveling to the country. It cited ‘terrorism’ and ‘civil unrest.’ Fortunately, Littleton announced that she is safe and staying at a friend’s shelter.

“Update: I have packed all of my stuff up and I’m headed to my teammates’ place, where they have a safe room in their place. So I’m a lot more comfortable there,” Littleton said. “Everything is quiet right now. There are no more missiles or blocking or anything happening like that. So everything is good. We are safe and sound and we’re just trying to get as much information as possible and I’m just trying to stay calm.” She also replied to Staley with Folded Hands emoji, and the same goes for Herbert Harrigan and Mitchell, showing gratitude to their former coach. The anxiety surrounding the Gamecock family doesn’t stop with former players.

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South Carolina Assistant Asks For Help For Family Stuck In War Zone

Khadijah Sessions is not only the team’s assistant coach but she also played for Dawn Staley as well. In her four years, she led the team to three SEC regular-season championships—the first in program history. Now, she works on the sidelines with Staley, providing guidance to the young players and formulating strategy. Sessions has pleaded for help regarding family stuck in Israel. 

“Please Share ! Help get my brother and Nephew back safely 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾.” Sessions wrote along with a screenshot of a facebook post that said, “My son Tre McCallum is a United States citizen who is currently in Israel with his 10 month old son Kamani and friend Angele. He plays professional basketball for a team called Maccabi Petah Tikva. Tre said he submitted paperwork to the Embassy but he’s not sure if it was processed. It needs to be known that they are there and is now in ‘shelter in place’ until they are able to travel to Jordan. According to Tre, this might be a few days.”

Tre played his college basketball at DePaul University and has played for many international clubs across Europe. Ultimately, beyond wins, titles, and trophies, this moment underscores the powerful bond within the Gamecock family.