Katrina Anderson (1977-79)
Katrina Anderson played only two years at South Carolina, but went down in history as the Gamecocks’ first women’s basketball All-American when she received the honor in 1978-79. Anderson averaged 22.2 points per game in 1977-78 and came back to average 18.9 points per game in 1978-79. She remains the school record holder for points scored in a single season, as she scored 754 in 1977-78. She also holds the single-season school record for free throws attempted, rebounds, rebounding average and steals. Her career average of 20.5 points per game ranks as the second-highest mark in school history.
Anderson scored as many as 41 points in a single game and collected as many as 22 rebounds in a single game. To this day, her single-season marks for minutes played (1,267), points scored (754), scoring average (22.2), field goals made (306), field goals attempted (544), field goal percentage (.563), free throws made (142), free throws attempted (242) rebounds (436), rebounding average (12.8) and steals (126) still rank among the top 10 in school history.
Sheila Foster (1977-82)
A 6-1 center-forward, Sheila Foster rewrote the South Carolina women’s record book during her tremendous career at USC and many of her records still stand today. The school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,266 points, Foster established herself as one of the dominant power forwards in collegiate basketball. The Spartanburg, S.C., native started every game (134 games) during her four years. In addition, Foster holds the distinction of being the Gamecocks’ all-time leading rebounder with 1,427 rebounds. During her four years, Foster averaged 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. As a senior, she averaged her career-high of 20.2 points and 10.9 boards per game.
In 1982, Sheila Foster became the first Gamecock woman to have her jersey number retired and in 1993, she was the first female athlete to be inducted into the then 41-member University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. On April 26, 2001, Foster was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame.
Foster currently resides in Moore, S. C., near Spartanburg, with her daughter, India and son, Stacey Jr. Foster works as the living support speciailist at the Charles Lea Center and regularly brings a youth group to the Gamecock home basketball games.
Martha Parker (1985-89)
A 5-9 forward/guard from Columbia’s Hammond Academy, Martha Parker took home countless awards and posted impressive statistics during her four seasons as a Gamecock. Parker averaged 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds a game and ranks fifth on the all-time South Carolina scoring list with 1,728 career points. Parker earned All-America honors from the American Women’s Sports Federation in 1986-87 and was a Women’s Basketball News Service All-America honoree in 1987-88 and 1988-89. Parker is second on South Carolina’s all-time steals list with 284. Parker started all but two games during her South Carolina career (122 starts in 124 games).
In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Parker garnered numerous awards for her academic success as well. Parker was a member of the GTE Academic All-America Team in her last two years and was honored with the Baden Post-Graduate Scholarship in 1989.
During the 1999-2000 season, the SEC honored Dr. Martha Parker-Hester as USC’s Female Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2000 SEC Tournament.
She and husband, Dr. Martin Hester, have a daughter, Corrie, and a son, Seth. A graduate of the USC Medical School, Parker is now in private family practice in Columbia with her husband.
Shannon Johnson (1992-96)
A 5-7 guard from Hartsville, S.C., Shannon Johnson is South Carolina’s second-leading scorer of all time with 2,230 career points, and is the only Gamecock ever to average more than 20 points per game for three consecutive seasons, as she averaged 23.5 points per game in her sophomore year of 1993-94, 23.9 points per game as a junior in 1994-95 and a school-record 24.7 points per game as a senior in 1995-96. Her career average of 20.4 points per game is also a school record by a wide margin. A three-time all-SEC performer, Johnson earned All-America recognition from the Associated Press in 1995-96 and was a finalist for the Wade Trophy.
Johnson was the starting point guard for Team USA at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, leading the squad to an undefeated run to the gold medal.
A WNBA All-Star in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003, Johnson was an All-WNBA selection in 1999 and 2000 and was one of 30 players nominated for a spot on the WNBA’s All-Decade Team in 2006. She has scored as many as 35 points in a WNBA game and has dished out 12 assists on three different occasions in WNBA games.
