Olivia Thompson

Awards Bio

Awards

At South Carolina
4x SEC Academic Honor Roll (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

High School
SCBCA Class 5A Player of the Year (2019)
SC HS Sports Report co-Statewide Player of the Year (2019)

Career Summary

Part of team that amassed three SEC Regular-Season championships, three SEC Tournament titles and three NCAA Final Four showings, including the 2022 National Championship … team record of 129-9 during her career, including a 45-7 mark against nationally ranked opponents … ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for 38 straight weeks, the second-longest streak in the history of that poll … lost just three SEC regular-season games in four seasons
In 2021-22 season, part of first team in program history to be ranked No 1 in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches’ Polls every week of the season … group went on to become just third program to hold No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in back-to-back seasons
Began career as a walk-on and earned a scholarship prior to the 2020-21 season

Senior Year (2022-23)

Helped team to program-record 36 wins, including perfect 16-0 slate in SEC action, seven wins over ranked opponents, an SEC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Final Four for the third-straight season
Part of team that set program records for points scored, rebounds and rebounding margin in addition to an NCAA record for blocked shots per game
Played in 25 games, scoring in seven of them … saw action in eight SEC games, one SEC Tournament contest and all five NCAA Tournament outings
Capped off her final career game in Colonial Life Arena with a 3 against #rv/24 South Florida (Mar. 19) in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, capping the scoring for the Gamecocks with just 30 seconds left
Hit a big 3 at #2/2 Stanford (Nov. 20) as part of an 11-2 run that made it a one-point game with two minutes left before halftime
Drew recognition from coaches after strong effort at Clemson (Nov. 17) and matched career high with two rebounds

Junior Year (2021-22)

Part of first team in program history to be ranked No 1 in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches’ Polls every week of the season and program’s second National Championship
Team posted program-record 14 wins over ranked opponents and claimed the SEC Regular-Season title
Played in 13 games on the season, scoring in two
Scored her first career NCAA tournament points in the win vs. Howard (Mar. 18), hitting a pair of 3-pointers
Played in her first SEC game of the season against #24/rv Ole Miss (Jan. 27)
Stuck her lone 3-point attempt against Elon (Nov. 26), also adding a rebound in 2+ minutes of action
Saw her first action of the regular season against South Dakota, attempting one 3-pointer in three minutes (Nov. 12)

Sophomore Year (2020-21)

Part of team that claimed its second-straight SEC Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 2017
Played in 20 games, including 11 SEC appearances and four postseason outings
Scored five points in the season opener against Charleston (Nov. 25), including one bucket from beyond the arc

Freshman Year (2019-20)

Part of first team in program history to end the season ranked No. 1 in the nation, claiming that spot in both the AP and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll
Helped team to SEC Regular-Season and Tournament crowns before seeing the COVID-19 pandemic cancel the NCAA Tournament … won all 16 SEC regular-season games
Hit at least one 3-pointer in eight of her 22 games played
Played career-high 14 minutes at Ole Miss (Jan. 30), hitting a 3 in the third and fourth quarters
Saw her earliest action of the season with four second-quarter minutes at Alabama (Jan. 5), hitting a 3
Made an ideal debut in front of the hometown crowd against Alabama State (Nov. 5), scoring seven of her 10 fourth-quarter points in a 38-second span

High School

Is among the most prolific 3-point shooters in South Carolina prep girls’ basketball history, including her 105 3s in 2017-18 to rank second all-time in the state
Claimed All-State honors from the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) each of her last three seasons (2017, 2018, 2019) and was a USA Today All-South Carolina First Team selection as a senior (2019)
Finished her career as the all-time leading scorer in Lexington High School history
Helped Lexington to Region 5 5A championship as a senior (2018-19) behind her 19.2 points per game

Personal