Source: On3
When South Carolina freshman Agot Makeer stepped onto the court against Texas with just over four minutes left in the first quarter, she immediately drew the toughest defensive assignment imaginable: reigning SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker.
What happened next had Colonial Life Arena erupting.
Makeer met Booker at half court, and her lengthy 6’3″ frame went to work. Booker tried going right—Makeer shut it down. She attempted to rush left—denied again. For half the shot clock, the true freshman had the SEC’s premier guard completely locked up at midcourt, unable to advance the ball.
While the possession ended with a South Carolina foul on the ensuing rebound, Makeer’s defensive statement energized the Gamecocks faithful while their team trailed early.
Despite logging only 13 minutes against the Longhorns—her second-lowest total of the season—Makeer’s impact was undeniable. Her presence gave South Carolina exactly what they needed when it mattered most.
“She’s reliable. If you can say that about a freshman, that’s a big word when it comes to freshmen, but she’s been through some things,” head coach Dawn Staley said postgame. “We could have gotten here a little bit sooner, but she’s been in and out of the lineup, on injured reserve.”
The Road Back
Makeer’s freshman campaign hasn’t followed a conventional script. She missed five games in December after entering concussion protocol following South Carolina’s earlier matchup against Texas. The injury sidelined her during a critical stretch of the season.
Yet adversity created opportunity. When starter Ta’Niya Latson went down with an ankle sprain, missing three games, Makeer stepped seamlessly into the starting lineup. The freshman who once wondered if she’d see meaningful minutes was suddenly thrust into a featured role.
“I’m proud of her, because probably maybe a month or two ago, she probably thought she would never play,” Staley revealed.
According to Staley, that mental battle—believing you might never contribute—can devastate a young player’s confidence and on-court performance. But Makeer refused to let doubt consume her. Instead, she stayed ready, and when her number was called, she delivered impactful plays consistently.
High Basketball IQ Meets Elite Defense
Senior point guard Raven Johnson has taken notice of Makeer’s basketball intelligence, comparing her practice performance to WNBA veteran DeWanna Bonner.
“And she gets a little mad when I say that. And I was like, ‘DeWanna Bonner is good?’ Like, she’s a bucket,” Johnson said. “But Gotti [Makeer], she brings a lot to this team. As a freshman, her IQ is above and beyond.”
Johnson described Makeer as a sponge who absorbs everything and is driven by one thing: winning. The numbers back up her defensive prowess—Makeer’s defensive rating of 70.8 ranks third among all Gamecocks.
“She’s always asking questions, and we know what she brings on the defensive end,” Johnson added. “She’s long, it’s hard to get around her.”
For a South Carolina team chasing another national championship, having a freshman who can lock down elite scorers while navigating injuries and uncertainty might be the X-factor they didn’t know they needed.
