“Bree Hall Takes It Personally, Shuts Down Texas Star in SEC Championship Beatdown”
GREENVILLE — Bree Hall woke up on Sunday with one goal in mind: stop Madison Booker.
“I’m shutting her down,” the South Carolina guard texted her parents before taking the court in the SEC Tournament championship game against No. 2 seed Texas. Hall wasn’t just talking—she backed it up.
“I woke up with the mindset of ‘I have to get her,'” Hall said after No. 1 seed South Carolina (30-3) dominated Texas 64-45 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. “I know after that game (on Feb. 9) (Booker) had said, ‘She can’t f-ing guard me.’ So I said, ‘That will be my motivation this game. I have to take that personally.'”
And she did. Hall held Booker scoreless until 1:51 left in the second quarter and limited her to just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Texas, a high-powered offense all season, managed only 30% shooting from the field.
“We don’t win this game without the contributions of Bree Hall and Raven Johnson,” said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. “She was locked into the game plan and wanted to know what she needed to do in order for her to help us win another championship.”
Hall’s Defense Has Been Booker’s Kryptonite
Hall has been Booker’s defensive nightmare all season. In their Jan. 12 matchup, Hall held Booker to 3-of-19 shooting and just seven points. Even in Texas’ Feb. 9 win over South Carolina (66-62), Booker struggled early against Hall, finishing with 20 points but on an inefficient 7-of-22 shooting—scoring most of her points at the free-throw line.
Over three matchups, Hall has been Booker’s primary defender, holding the SEC Player of the Year to a brutal 14-of-54 shooting (25.9%).
“(Hall) is going to shut her down, she’s going to disrupt her and get in her head,” said Hall’s mother, Lashauna Hall. “That’s who she is. She’s going to do the dirty work, do whatever it takes to win. That’s why she came here to South Carolina. To win.”
Fueled by Disrespect
Despite her defensive dominance, Hall was snubbed from the SEC All-Defensive Team. On Sunday, she used it as extra fuel.
“Maybe it’s because I don’t pack the stats with steals and blocks, which is fine,” Hall said. “But I feel like leaving me off that award list motivated me more for this tournament.”
Staley knows Hall’s defensive impact extends far beyond the box score.
“She takes the job nobody wants,” Staley said. “I tell her, ‘Your defense is going to be something that will carry you in the transition to the next level.’ I hope she hears me. These WNBA franchises have been looking at Bree for four years. They know what she’s best at.“
Hall, however, gave Booker credit despite locking her down.
“Shoutout to her, she’s a fantastic player for sure,” Hall said. “Nothing but love for her.”
But on Sunday, love didn’t stop Hall from making sure Booker and Texas had no chance.
