When the history of Dawn Staley’s dynasty at South Carolina is eventually written, it will be populated by a gallery of legends — A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, Kamilla Cardoso in the post, and a steady stream of elite guards who went on to professional careers. But if the evidence from Agot Makeer’s freshman season is any indication, the next name destined for that wall may already be wearing a Gamecocks uniform.
It’s early. Makeer herself would be the first to acknowledge that. But what unfolded over the course of her debut season — particularly when the stakes were highest — was the kind of emergence that doesn’t happen by accident.
The Expectations Were Enormous. She Delivered Anyway.
Makeer didn’t arrive in Columbia quietly. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native came in as a five-star recruit, a McDonald’s All-American, and the No. 6 ranked player in the class of 2025 according to ESPN. That pedigree carries weight in a program already stocked with elite talent, and the pressure to perform immediately was real.
What made her freshman year remarkable wasn’t just what she produced — it was how she handled the journey to get there. Early in the season, by her own admission, the rhythm wasn’t there. “I feel like at the start of the season I struggled to get in rhythm a little bit,” Makeer said in December. “Then being out for the last five games, I saw a different perspective from the sideline. Sitting next to Chloe (Kitts), still getting confidence from coaches and stuff helped a lot. Once I got up there, I just knew it would come eventually.”
That kind of self-awareness is not common in freshmen. Most players that age either deflect accountability or spiral under pressure. Makeer did neither. She absorbed the moment, recalibrated, and returned ready.
Her opportunity arrived ahead of schedule when starter Ta’Niya Latson went down with an injury, thrusting Makeer into the starting lineup for South Carolina’s first three SEC games. She responded with 7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and two assists per game in that stretch — production that would have felt comfortable for a veteran, let alone a teenager navigating the most competitive conference in women’s college basketball.
Her regular season numbers across 23 games — 5.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 17.3 minutes per appearance — don’t shout from the page. But the raw averages miss the point entirely. Makeer was a consistent, stabilizing force on both ends of the floor every time she stepped on the court, the kind of presence coaches rely on precisely because she doesn’t disrupt what’s already working.
March Revealed Who She Really Is
Regular seasons can be managed. March cannot.
When the NCAA Tournament arrived, Makeer didn’t just hold her own — she elevated. Her minutes jumped to 27 per game, and with expanded opportunity came expanded production: 14 points per game during March Madness, nearly triple her regular season average on a per-game basis.
The defining moment came in the Elite Eight against TCU. Makeer put together the best performance of her young career — 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in a dominant 78-52 win. The performance earned her a spot on the NCAA Tournament All-Regional team and served as something closer to a declaration than a breakout.
Raven Johnson, one of the program’s most decorated guards, didn’t need much convincing. “I’ve been saying, ‘Gotti’ is the X-factor of this team,” Johnson said after the Elite Eight win. “She’s a silent killer. She’s not afraid, she’s not afraid of nobody. I think her confidence is through the roof through the March Madness tournament like it’s showing.”
That phrase — silent killer — is worth sitting with. The best guards in Staley’s system have historically combined efficiency with fearlessness. They don’t need the spotlight to damage you. Makeer fits that mold almost perfectly. She attacks downhill without forcing the issue, spaces the floor from three, and defends with an edge that belies her age. In a program that has produced professional guards at a remarkable rate, those traits are deeply familiar.
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina’s record-setting sophomore star, has seen enough up close to already know what’s coming. “I feel like everybody really sees how she blossomed,” Edwards said. “I can’t wait to play with her next year.”
The Tears, and Then the Answer That Said Everything
The season ended in heartbreak. South Carolina’s 79-51 loss to UCLA in the national championship game was a painful ending to what had been a historically productive season, and Makeer — who contributed 11 points and two rebounds in the loss — was visibly emotional afterward when speaking to reporters.
But when she was asked how she carries the momentum of a successful postseason into her sophomore year, she didn’t reach for comfort or deflection. “I don’t really have an option but to,” she said.
Five words. No drama. Just competitive clarity from a teenager who just played in a national championship game for the first time.
That response tells you everything about what kind of player South Carolina will have on its hands next season. Makeer isn’t arriving at a crossroads — she’s already chosen her direction. Teammate Ayla McDowell, who watched her closely all season, put it plainly: “She’s an amazing player, amazing person. She’s only up from here. With her, you won’t go back down, you’re gonna only improve your game. I’m very excited for what’s to come and I know she’s gonna keep working for what she wants.”
What Comes Next
Staley’s program doesn’t lack for talent or ambition heading into next season. But the most fascinating developmental story on the roster may belong to the player who came off the bench and quietly stole the tournament.
With Latson and Raven Johnson now in the WNBA, the offensive redistribution creates a direct pathway for Makeer to claim a larger role — possibly a starting one. The leap from freshman to sophomore year in Staley’s system has historically been transformative for players with Makeer’s profile. Edwards made it. Several others before her did too.
The blueprint is in place. The talent is obvious. And the mentality, perhaps most importantly, is already there.
South Carolina is still hunting its third national championship. Agot Makeer, it appears, is just getting started.
