Gamecocks Abroad: Two Sophomores, Two Flags, One Shared Mission
South Carolina’s roster has quietly turned into a summer showcase of international talent, and nowhere is that more evident than in Guadalajara, Mexico, where sophomore guard Agot Makeer is helping Canada chase a spot in the 2028 Olympic cycle.
Canada advanced to the semifinals of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, a event reserved for national teams that missed out on this year’s World Cup in Berlin. The stakes are straightforward: win the tournament, and Canada earns a berth in the 2028 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Joining Canada in the final four are New Zealand, Mexico, and tournament host Brazil.
Makeer’s box scores tell the story of a role player making winning plays. Through group play she’s averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and a steal per game across just over 11 minutes of floor time — modest numbers on paper, but ones that belie her impact. In the tournament opener, a 72-57 win over Senegal, she posted four points and five boards while leading all of Canada with a plus-18 rating. She followed that with nine points and two steals in an 85-38 rout of the Philippines, then contributed four points and two rebounds in a tighter 70-64 win over host Mexico.
That run sets up a pivotal weekend. After a scheduled rest day Friday, Canada meets New Zealand in Saturday’s first semifinal, with Mexico and Brazil playing the nightcap. Sunday’s final will decide which team punches its ticket toward the Olympic Qualifying Tournament — meaning Makeer’s next few possessions carry far more weight than her modest minutes might suggest.
Makeer isn’t the only Gamecock sophomore who spent her summer representing a home country. Ayla McDowell suited up for Brazil’s senior national team at the FIBA South American Qualifier, averaging 17.8 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Her contributions helped Brazil secure bronze and qualify for next year’s AmeriCup — though unlike Makeer, McDowell isn’t part of the current Pre-Qualifying roster in Mexico.
Makeer’s path to this tournament wasn’t a given. She was among 17 players Canada invited to its first national-team training camp in June, but she skipped the second camp, which wrapped with an exhibition against UCLA. Despite that absence, she still earned one of just 12 roster spots for the Pre-Qualifying Tournament — a sign of how highly Canada’s staff regards her.
That staff is undergoing its own transformation. Head coach Nell Fortner, who guided USA Basketball to Olympic gold in 2000 during her time away from Auburn and Georgia Tech, is leaning into a youth movement. Established veterans like Shay Colley, Natalie Achonwa, and former Gamecock Laeticia Amihere — now occupied with WNBA duties — have given way to a college-heavy core featuring Makeer alongside BYU’s Delaney Gibb and Washington’s Avery Howell.
Makeer’s international résumé already runs deep for a player her age. She holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship but has committed her international future to Canada, representing the program at the 2024 U17 World Cup and 2025 U19 World Cup. It was at the U17 tournament where she first turned heads, averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists en route to an All-Star Five selection and a silver medal. A year later, she nearly delivered bronze at the U19 level, stealing the ball in the final seconds of the medal game only to see a potential game-winning three rim out at the buzzer.
Back in Columbia, Makeer’s freshman season foreshadowed exactly this kind of high-leverage contribution. She averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across the year, but elevated significantly once March arrived — 14.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game in the NCAA Tournament while shooting a scorching 46.2% from three, a stretch strong enough to land her on the All-Region team.
She’s far from the only Gamecock making international headlines this offseason. Junior Joyce Edwards spent part of her summer with USA Basketball’s 3×3 senior national team, playing in a pair of May tournaments before capturing gold at the 3×3 World Cup in June. Meanwhile, Alicia Tournebize is in Paris fighting for a roster spot at France’s World Cup training camp, which opened August 19; a successful camp would send her to Berlin for the World Cup itself, a stage neither Canada nor Brazil qualified for this cycle. And at the very top of the program’s international pedigree, former Gamecocks Aliyah Boston and A’ja Wilson were both tabbed for the USA Basketball World Cup roster.
For now, all eyes turn to Guadalajara. The World Cup group stage there runs August 17-20, with the top two finishers in each group advancing — Canada topped Group B ahead of Senegal, Philippines, and Mexico. Canada’s semifinal against New Zealand tips off Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Mexico-Brazil at 10:30 p.m. ET, with Sunday’s final at 7:30 p.m. ET deciding the tournament. U.S. viewers will need a DAZN subscription to follow along, as streaming availability varies by region.
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