Justine Loubens Finally Joins South Carolina on the Court as Visa Roadblock Appears Resolved

After weeks of uncertainty surrounding her arrival and eligibility to participate in team activities, South Carolina freshman guard Justine Loubens appears to have cleared the final hurdle that had kept her away from the Gamecocks’ basketball activities.

Loubens was reportedly seen practicing with her South Carolina teammates today, a significant development for Dawn Staley’s 2026-27 roster and one that strongly suggests the visa-related complications that delayed her participation have finally been resolved.

The development is especially important because Loubens’ absence had been one of the more unusual storylines surrounding South Carolina’s offseason.

From arriving in Columbia to being sidelined

South Carolina officially announced Loubens’ addition to the program in April, bringing the 6-foot-1 French guard into a recruiting class that also includes Jerzy Robinson, Oliviyah Edwards, Kaeli Wynn and Kelsi Andrews. She arrived with considerable international experience, having played professionally in France and represented the French national program at multiple youth competitions.

But getting to Columbia didn’t immediately mean she could practice.

When South Carolina’s summer activities began, Loubens was dealing with the immigration and enrollment complications associated with moving from France to the United States. A July report confirmed that she was in Columbia at one point to become familiar with campus and her new teammates, but she wasn’t permitted to participate in team activities.

That distinction became crucial.

The visa issue created an unusual delay

The problem wasn’t simply that Loubens had missed a few practices.

According to reporting from Gamecock Central earlier this month, the visa situation caused Loubens to miss the deadline to enroll in South Carolina’s July academic session. Because participation in team activities was tied to her enrollment status, she had to wait until the fall academic period to become eligible for those activities.

That meant while South Carolina’s returning players and other newcomers were progressing through summer work, Loubens was essentially watching from the sidelines.

Gamecock Central’s August update offered an important clue about what was coming next. The report indicated that once the team returned from its summer break, Loubens should be enrolled and able to participate.

Now, with Loubens reportedly taking part in practice alongside her teammates, that expectation appears to have become reality.

A major development for Dawn Staley’s freshman class

Loubens’ return to the floor gives Staley another intriguing piece to work with as South Carolina moves toward the 2026-27 season.

The French guard isn’t simply an international prospect being brought in for the future. She arrives with experience against high-level competition.

Before joining South Carolina, Loubens played in France’s top women’s professional league with La Roche Vendée Basket, where she averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 63.9 percent from the field across 24 games. She previously played for Centre Fédéral BB Paris in France’s second division.

Her international résumé is equally notable.

Loubens played for France at the 2023 FIBA U16 European Championship, the 2024 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup and the 2025 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket. At the 2024 U17 World Cup, she led France in scoring at 11.3 points per game while shooting 52 percent from three-point range.

At the 2025 U18 European Championship, she averaged 7.6 points and 2.7 rebounds while helping France earn a bronze medal.

That background gives Staley a player who has already experienced international pressure and, importantly, has played alongside another member of the Gamecocks’ roster.

The “French Connection” gets another chapter

One of the more intriguing aspects of Loubens’ arrival is her relationship with fellow freshman Alicia Tournebize.

The two have previously represented France together, and South Carolina now has both players in the same college program. Their familiarity could potentially make Loubens’ transition into Staley’s system smoother than it would be for a completely new international player.

The possibility of seeing Tournebize and Loubens on the floor together has already generated excitement among Gamecock fans, with local coverage referring to the pairing as the potential “French Connection.”

Now that Loubens is finally practicing, that possibility can move from offseason speculation toward something Staley and her staff can actually evaluate.

Timing could be especially important

The timing of Loubens’ return is arguably just as important as the development itself.

South Carolina’s roster is unusually deep entering 2026-27. The Gamecocks return key pieces including Tessa Johnson, Joyce Edwards, Maddy McDaniel, Adhel Tac, Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell, while Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins are expected back after missing the previous season. The program also added Texas transfer Jordan Lee alongside its five freshmen.

That means Loubens is entering a competitive environment where every practice matters.

While she has missed valuable time learning South Carolina’s system, she now has an opportunity to close that gap before the regular season begins.

Her shooting ability could be particularly interesting for Staley. South Carolina has plenty of athleticism and defensive versatility, but adding another player capable of stretching the floor could give the offense another dimension.

What happens next?

The immediate question isn’t whether Loubens will be allowed to practice anymore — today’s development strongly suggests that hurdle has been cleared.

The bigger question is how quickly she can make up for the time she lost.

Loubens missed the summer window in which South Carolina’s other players were able to build chemistry, learn terminology and become familiar with the coaching staff’s expectations. She will now have to absorb those elements while simultaneously competing for playing time on one of the deepest rosters in the country.

That makes the next several weeks particularly important.

Staley and her staff will have their first extended opportunity to see how Loubens’ international experience, shooting ability and size translate into the Gamecocks’ system.

And for Loubens, simply being on the court represents a major victory after an offseason in which her South Carolina career was temporarily put on hold by circumstances beyond basketball.

A long-awaited first step

Loubens’ journey to South Carolina was supposed to begin when she signed with the Gamecocks in April. Instead, visa and enrollment complications turned her first months in Columbia into a waiting game.

Now, that waiting appears to be over.

Justine Loubens is practicing with her South Carolina teammates.

For Dawn Staley, that means another piece of the 2026-27 puzzle is finally available to evaluate. For Loubens, it means the opportunity to begin proving why South Carolina believed she was worth bringing across the Atlantic in the first place.

And with the season approaching, her long-delayed introduction to Gamecock basketball may have arrived at exactly the right time.

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