Hall of Fame Profile: Brantley Southers Focused on the Little Things in Stellar Career

Brantley Southers (1981-1986) has traveled the world in her career, and not just as an outstanding basketball player. The former South Carolina standout is currently living in Vitoria, Spain, and is one of 10 former Gamecocks who will be inducted into the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame on October 14.

“I didn’t believe it at first,” Southers said of learning about her Hall of Fame induction. “I was very humbled because it was something I was absolutely not expecting. It was the farthest thing from my mind. I said, ‘God, thank you!’ It brought a tear to my eye.”

Born in Marietta, Ga., Southers’ mother later moved them to Columbia where she would start her basketball career at Dreher High School and became a coveted recruit nationally.
“I took basketball so seriously,” Southers said. “I kind of found my niche. I dedicated all my time to it. I would go out to the public parks and play with the guys. I had a box full of offers from universities all around the United States.”

Fortunately for South Carolina, she stayed close to home. Southers scored 1,982 career points, fourth on the school’s all-time list, and remains third in all-time field goals made and first in career free throw percentage. She was a three-time first-team All-Metro Conference selection, was the Metro Tournament’s Outstanding Player in 1986, was named to the conference All-Tournament team three times and was a three-time All-American.

“I’m most proud of the free throws,” Southers said. “All I did was practice and practice and practice. I would tell anybody that if you were a good free throw shooter, you will always be valuable to a team. Even if you’re not a star, you can always play defense, and you can always make free throws. It’s like driving a car; you don’t have to think about it.

“Winning the Metro Conference Championship was one of my best memories.”

“I wouldn’t take anything away from moving around the world like I did.”

After graduating from South Carolina with a degree in physical education, Southers enjoyed a long professional playing career overseas, which included stops in Sweden, Brazil, Spain, France, and Italy.

“When I was coming out of college, the best players went overseas to Europe or South America,” Southers said. “I’d play for nine months and then come back to the United States for a vacation. I actually played against (current South Carolina head coach) Dawn Staley in Spain. I don’t know if she remembers me. We had a run-in during a game. She ran into me and bounced off me and fell down.

“Just when I was retiring, I got an offer to play when the WNBA was first starting, but I was too injured at that point. I was 34 years old and had a bad ankle and it had to be operated on.
Southers has spent the last 24 years living in Spain and now own a sports medicine business and teaches English to children and adults there. Looking back, Southers is glad she chased her dreams and played basketball overseas.

“I always thought I was prepared for life anyway,” Southers said. “I met a lot of people who came overseas to play basketball, and they weren’t able to adapt to the cultures, but I was open, wanted to meet people and wanted to learn languages. I would have loved to have played in the WNBA, but I wouldn’t take anything away from moving around the world like I did. I enjoyed it a lot.

“Meeting people was my favorite part. Just travelling was wonderful.”

That’s not to say that she hasn’t been keeping up with her alma mater over the years.

“I have a t-shirt from when the baseball won the national championship in 2011,” Southers said. “My mother sent me the shirt, and then when the women’s basketball team won the national championship (2017), my uncle and aunt sent me two t-shirts!”

Now that she will be a part of the 2021 Hall of Fame class, Southers looks forward to coming back and visiting campus to make some new memories.

“Just seeing people that I haven’t seen in a long time is what I look forward to,” Southers said. “I know things have changed a lot. I’m also very excited about going out to Williams-Brice Stadium.  I was back on campus two years ago. I want to come back and see a women’s basketball game, too.”