Editor’s note: Jersey numbers 36, 37, 38 and 39 are omitted from this installment because no player in program history has ever worn them, per South Carolina’s record book. The series has previously covered No. 00 through No. 30.
No. 31 — Schonna Banner (1986–90)
In a program that has produced some of the greatest players in the history of women’s basketball, Schonna Banner doesn’t always get the recognition she deserves. She should.
The Lenoir, North Carolina native ranks ninth in program history with 1,791 career points and 10th in career scoring average at 14.3 points per game — numbers that hold up across every era of Gamecock basketball. Her 901 career rebounds rank seventh all-time, making her one of the more complete two-way players in the program’s pre-SEC history.
Banner announced herself immediately, earning Metro Conference Newcomer of the Year and Freshman All-American honors after averaging 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds as a first-year player in 1986-87. She followed that debut by earning All-Metro Conference Team recognition in each of her final three seasons — a consistency that defines her legacy as one of South Carolina’s most reliable players during its final years in the Metro Conference.
Honorable mention: Valerie Nainima (2009–11), Stacy Booker (2003–07)
No. 32 — Shaunzinski Gortman (1998–2002)
This is the toughest call in the 31–40 range, and it deserves to be treated as such.
Sharon Gilmore (1982–86) and Shaunzinski Gortman (1998–2002) produced strikingly similar careers on the surface. Gilmore scored 1,511 points and averaged 13.7 points and 8.0 rebounds across 110 games. Gortman scored 1,367 points and averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds across 105 games. Both earned All-American and All-Conference recognition. Gilmore holds the program record for most points in a game as a freshman with 40 and ranks eighth all-time in rebounds. These are legitimate Hall-of-Fame caliber credentials for the program.
And yet Gortman edges her — not by much, but meaningfully.
The difference comes down to historical context and program-defining moments. Gortman built her career in the SEC, a significantly tougher competitive environment than the Metro Conference Gilmore navigated. She recorded one of only seven triple-doubles in program history, led USC in three-point percentage and assists in multiple seasons, and ranks in the Top 10 for career steal average. Most importantly, she was a member of South Carolina’s first Elite Eight squad — and when her career ended, she became the first Gamecock ever selected in the WNBA Draft, a milestone that carries lasting program significance.
Gilmore is an exceptional honorable mention. But Gortman’s résumé, built against tougher competition in bigger moments, earns the edge.
Honorable mention: Sharon Gilmore (1982–86), Jean Walling (1977–80), Brionna Dickerson (2006–07)
No. 33 — Elem Ibiam (2011–15)
Elem Ibiam’s career arc is a model of development done right. She arrived as a reserve, grew into a starter, and finished her time in Columbia as a cornerstone of one of the program’s most important teams.
Ibiam started all 37 games in her senior season and was a key part of the 2015 squad that reached South Carolina’s first Final Four — a watershed moment in program history. Her averages of 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks across 126 career games don’t leap off the page, but her defensive impact was genuine and measurable. She averaged 2.4 blocks per game in 2013-14, earning All-SEC Defensive Team recognition, and her 164 career blocks rank eighth in program history.
The Fayetteville, Georgia native wasn’t a star in the traditional sense. She was something arguably more valuable on a championship-caliber team: an elite defensive anchor who did her job without needing the spotlight.
Honorable mention: Natalie Funderburk (1992–96)
No. 34 — Audrey Ramsey (1994–98)
Transparency matters here: No. 34 is the thinnest number in this installment. Only six players have worn it in program history, and none of them were program cornerstones.
The decision comes down to Audrey Ramsey and Shannon Segres, two players whose career numbers are almost identical — both averaged 4.6 points per game, with Ramsey slightly ahead in rebounding at 3.7 per game compared to Segres’ 3.1. Both earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition as their primary accolade.
With no meaningful statistical or award-based separator, Ramsey gets the nod on total career production — more points and more rebounds accumulated over 110 games compared to Segres’ 99. It’s a narrow margin, but in a number without a clear standout, that’s the honest tiebreaker.
Honorable mention: Shannon Segres (1998–2002)
No. 35 — Alexis Jennings (2018–19)
Two seasons. That’s all Alexis Jennings gave South Carolina — and it was enough to make her the clear choice here.
Jennings arrived via Kentucky, where she earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2015, and was forced to sit out the Gamecocks’ 2017 national championship run due to transfer rules. When she finally got onto the floor for the 2017-18 season, she wasted no time. She averaged 11.4 points per game — second on the team only to A’ja Wilson — and 6.6 rebounds, immediately establishing herself as one of the team’s most important contributors.
She maintained that level in her second season, averaging 11.2 points and leading the team with 6.2 rebounds per game. When her time at South Carolina ended, she had started 67 of 68 appearances and averaged 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds for her career as a Gamecock. For a player who never had a full four-year run in Columbia, those numbers represent a remarkable concentration of impact.
Honorable mention: None listed
No. 40 — Teresa Geter (2000–02)
Teresa Geter’s story has a poetic quality to it. A Columbia native, she left home to win a national championship with Pat Summitt and Tennessee in 1998 — then came back to help build something at the program in her own backyard.
Her two seasons with South Carolina were productive from the start. Geter earned All-SEC recognition in 2001 while leading the team in scoring (11.6 points), rebounding (6.5) and steals — a triple-category leadership performance that is genuinely rare. She led the team in blocks in both of her seasons.
Her final year ended with South Carolina making its first Elite Eight, a program milestone she shared with Shaunzinski Gortman — and, fittingly, both were drafted in the 2002 WNBA Draft together. Geter became the second Gamecock ever drafted, one pick after the woman who holds the best in No. 32.
A national champion who came home and helped elevate her hometown program to its first Elite Eight. That’s a legacy worth remembering.
Honorable mention: None listed
