From the Hardwood to the Sideline: Shaunzinski Gortman Named Head Coach at Northside Christian — Plus, Eight Gamecocks Take the Court Friday Night
South Carolina women’s basketball alumni are making headlines on two very different fronts this week — one taking on a new coaching chapter, and eight others suiting up across the WNBA in a busy Friday night slate.
Gortman steps into a new role
Former South Carolina standout Shaunzinski Gortman has been named the new head girls basketball coach at Northside Christian School, marking the next chapter in a career already defined by program-building milestones. Gortman’s playing legacy at South Carolina is substantial — she helped lead the Gamecocks to their first-ever Elite Eight appearance, became the first South Carolina player ever selected in the WNBA Draft, and was inducted into the USC Lettermen’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
That combination of accomplishments — a program-first tournament breakthrough, a program-first draft selection, and formal Hall of Fame recognition — reflects a player who helped establish the foundation that South Carolina’s current dominance is now built on. Taking that same trailblazing history into a head coaching role suggests Northside Christian is gaining a leader who understands firsthand what it takes to build a program from the ground up rather than simply maintain one already at the top.
A loaded Friday night for South Carolina’s WNBA alumni
On the professional side, Friday night offers South Carolina fans a rare chance to watch eight former Gamecocks in action across two separate games.
Atlanta hosts Seattle
The night opens with Atlanta hosting Seattle, a matchup loaded with Gamecock ties. The Dream feature Allisha Gray, Te-Hina Paopao and rookie center Madina Okot, while Seattle counters with former Gamecock Zia Cooke.
Gray has been Atlanta’s offensive engine all season, averaging 19.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game — production that’s helped push the Dream to a strong 17-10 record, positioning them just behind the Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference standings. Okot, in her rookie campaign, has appeared in 27 games and is averaging 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds, a modest but steady contribution for a first-year player still working into a larger role.
Seattle presents a much tougher backdrop for Cooke, who’s playing for a team mired at 6-24, last place in the Western Conference. Her own averages of 7.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game reflect a player producing reasonably well individually even as her team struggles collectively — a distinction worth noting, since individual performance and team record don’t always move together. Friday’s Atlanta-Seattle matchup tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET, airing live on Ion.
A late-night Fever-Fire matchup
Night owl fans have a second opportunity later on, as the Indiana Fever travel to face the Portland Fire. Indiana boasts the deepest South Carolina contingent of any WNBA roster, featuring Aliyah Boston, Ty Harris, Bree Hall and rookie Raven Johnson.
Boston headlines that group coming off an All-Star selection earlier this month, and her numbers justify it — a career-high 17.1 points per game, paired with 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. That kind of well-rounded statistical growth, especially the career-best scoring mark, suggests Boston’s game has continued expanding even as she enters her third professional season, rather than plateauing after a strong rookie debut.
The Fever-Fire matchup tips off at 10 p.m. ET, also airing on Ion.
Why this Friday matters
Between Gortman’s new coaching chapter and eight former Gamecocks taking the floor across two nationally broadcast games, this stretch reflects just how far South Carolina women’s basketball’s influence now extends — from shaping the next generation of high school talent to filling out rosters and stat sheets across the WNBA on any given night.
About The Author
