Newcomer Tournebize Makes Big Strides in a Short Time
Alicia Tournebize has come a long way in a short time, and we’re not just talking about the distance from her home in Vichy, France to Columbia to start her collegiate basketball career in January. The freshman enrolled at South Carolina for the Spring 2026 semester and quickly adapted to a new team, country, and culture.
“Everything is bigger here,” Tournebize said. “The cars, the stores, and even the food!”
“The language was hard at first, but it has become better and better. The basketball part was going really fast – faster than I used to experience. Coming in the middle of the year, learning the plays, and learning about each team was hard. Every team has their own way to play.
“It was not hard to get to know my teammates. When I came here for a visit, they were all very kind and nice to me. They were really happy when I came here. They were excited for me to get a chance to play in games.”
While she learned English well before coming to South Carolina, sitting in classrooms and trying to understand hour-long lectures in her non-native tongue also took some time to adjust.
“The first week, it was a little bit difficult,” Tournebize said. “Because I was immersed with this 24 hours a day, it got easier. It’s OK now.
“I like how everything is managed here between practices and class. We have our schedule, and it’s all managed where I am comfortable.”
“I feel like I’m getting better and better. The more I experience the plays and the way the team plays, I’ll do more. I just try to bring energy. I try to do my best and do what the team needs.”
“Ali,” as she is called by her Gamecock teammates and coaches, had a lot of outstanding experience after joining the historically dominant Tango Bourges Basket of France’s premier women’s professional league, beginning with its U15 program. She later earned a spot on the club’s professional roster in 2025-26 on a training-intern contract and was named to the All-Star 5 at the 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket, leading the team with 12.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, which ranked among the tournament’s top 10 in both categories. Having that experience didn’t mean she was going to have instant success playing in the U.S. at the collegiate level.
“I have learned a lot,” Tournebize said. “The game is a little bit different from how I used to play in France and in Europe. The coaches try to get the best out of us in every game and every practice. Here, people try to use their speed more. In France, they used their experience because they were older. I’m glad I have the opportunity experience both.”
Knowing the young Frenchwoman was not going to be an overnight success, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has praised Tournebize for the amount of growth she has shown in a short time.
“She’s a lot more mature than her 18-year-old self,” Staley said in January. “She has been a pro for a few years now.”
While Tournebize has had some ups and downs, she was recently a bright spot for the Gamecocks in their SEC Tournament Championship loss to Texas where she scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds.
“I told our team I thought we got stronger if we could get Ali to play the way she did,” Staley said after the game. “She played inspired. Not playing (vs LSU in the semifinals) makes her think about the things she needs to do to play. She held her own defensively. So, it was pretty good and promising to know that.”
She contributed five points and a season high 11 rebounds in South Carolina’s NCAA Tournament opening win over Southern University and added six points and two boards in the second round win over Southern Cal.
With her 6’7” frame, pleasing shooting stroke which gives her great range, and the ability to dunk, it’s not hard for South Carolina fans to take notice of the rookie. Tournebize noted there are many things she can do to improve her game, but she has seen her abilities enhanced by the coaching staff in the short time she has been here.
“I feel like I’m getting better and better,” Tournebize said. “The more I experience the plays and the way the team plays, I’ll do more. I just try to bring energy. I try to do my best and do what the team needs.”
Ali’s mother, Isabelle Fijalkowski, played at University of Colorado as well as professionally in the WNBA and in France. She is in the French Basketball Academy Hall of Fame (2011) and the FIBA Hall of Fame (2020) and will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Now that Tournebize is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time, she is looking forward to making her own path and experiencing all that college basketball has to offer.
“The seniors have talked to me about how the tournament will be,” Tournebize said. “They have shared experiences and told me we need to lock in. We have to have the same mindset for every game. We have to be ready.”
