Victaria Saxton

Awards

At South Carolina
NCAA Hemisfair Region All-Tournament Team (2021)
SEC All-Freshman Team (2019)
5x SEC Academic Honor Roll (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

High School
Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AA Player of the Year (2017, 2018)

South Carolina Record Book

Career
5th – Blocked shots in a career (192)
6th – Offensive rebounds in a career (365)
1st – Games played in a career (166)
3rd – Blocked shots in career SEC games (96)
1st – SEC games played in a career (78)

Season
1st – Games started in a season (37 in 2021-22 and in 2022-23)
1st – Games played in a season (37 in 2021-22 and in 2022-23)

Game
Best field goal percentage by a freshman (1.000 (7-7) at Arkansas, 2/3/19)
Best free throw percentage by a freshman (1.000 (8-8) vs. Georgia, 2/24/19; 1.000 (5-5) at Arkansas, 2/3/19)

So happy to hear @v5axton's name called in this #WNBADraft – @IndianaFever knows what's up! pic.twitter.com/exGPUu6qsk

— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 11, 2023

Career Summary

• Part of teams that amassed three SEC Regular-Season championships, three SEC Tournament titles, three NCAA Final Four showings, including the 2022 National Championship … ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for 38 straight weeks, the second-longest streak in the history of that poll
• 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
• Team captain four years of her career, permanent fixture in starting lineup her last two seasons
• Ranked among the SEC’s top 15 in blocks per game each of her first four seasons, peaking at sixth in 2020-21 with at 1.5 average
• Consummate team player, sacrificing individual glory for team benefit … invaluable steadying force on the court and in the locker room
• In career, has four double-doubles, 33 double-figure scoring games (2 20-point outings) and 12 double-digit rebounding games
• No. 25 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, taken by the Indiana Fever in the third round

Bio Information

Graduate 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
• Started all 37 games, scoring in double figures six times
• Big-time shot blocker in NCAA Tournament second round against #rv/24 South Florida (Mar. 17), tallying a team-high four with two coming in each half
• Dominant offensively in SEC Tournament quarterfinal against Arkansas (Mar. 3) with a team-high 19 points, including 12 in the first half
• Put up six points at Tennessee (Feb. 23) with her first layup of the game tying things up for the Gamecocks
• Was a defensive menace against #3/2 LSU (Feb. 12) with two steals and a block and scored on consecutive possessions in the third quarter to stop a 6-0 Tiger run that opened the period
• Moved to No. 1 in the Gamecock record book for games played (151) with her start against Kentucky (Feb. 2)
• Scored six of her seven points at Vanderbilt (Jan. 19) in the first half, contributing back-to-back layups to a 9-0 run in the second quarter
• Posted a season-high 12 points against Auburn (Jan. 5), putting down six of the team’s first 19 in the opening quarter
• Second of her two putbacks at Georgia (Jan. 2) helped start an 9-0 third-quarter run that put team in front for good
• Hit her first career 3-pointer to cap the first half at Clemson (Nov. 17)

Senior Year (2021-22)

• Named a captain for 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
• Ranked 11th in the SEC for blocked shots per game (1.30) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.2)
• Started all 37 games; grabbed double-digit rebounds seven times and blocked five or more shots twice
• Dominated the offensive glass in the national championship game against #5/6 UConn (Apr. 3), setting the tone early with the first of her five coming on the opening possession to set up a Destanni Henderson 3-pointer
• Locked in her first double-double of the season with 11 points with a game-high 11 boards vs. Creighton (Mar. 27)
• Reeled in a career-high 14 rebounds in NCAA Sweet 16 win over #17/18 North Carolina (Mar. 25), highlighted by a third quarter with four offensive rebounds and five points to go with a steal and a big block
• Went to work early at Kentucky (Feb. 10), scoring the team’s first four points and pulling down five rebounds in the first three minutes; finished with a season-high 11 boards to go with eight points and five blocks
• Needed only 17 minutes of action vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 24) to reach a season-high 11 rebounds, highlighted by a third quarter of eight rebounds (six offensive)
• Was a menace to Arkansas’ (Jan. 16) offense, blocking a career-high six shots, including one late to stifle a rally
• Sparked the team’s big second quarter vs. #21/20 Kentucky (Jan. 9), with 3-of-4 field goals with five boards and a block
• Helped keep game close at #13/16 LSU (Jan. 6) with three of her four blocked shots, three of her seven rebounds and all six of her points coming in the first half
• Was nearly unstoppable in the first half against Mississippi State (Jan. 2), scoring six of the team’s first eight points … finished with 11 first-half points and shot 5-of-6 in the game, including a pair of layups off her own steals on the perimeter, to post her first double-digit scoring game of the season
• Scored seven points and added three of her eight offensive boards in the third quarter vs. #2/2 Stanford (Dec. 21)
• Pulled down seven offensive rebounds in the win over #8/7 Maryland (Dec. 12), two coming in the closing minutes of the game to help seal the win… also entered the program’s career top 10 for blocks, passing Ilona Burgrova (2005-08) with a pair of stuffs

Junior Year (2020-21)

• Team captain for the second-straight season
• Part of team that claimed its second-straight SEC Tournament title and advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time since 2017
• Ranked sixth in the SEC in blocks per game (1.5) … in conference play, ranked fifth in blocks per game (1.4), and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (2.8)
• Scored the first eight South Carolina points against Texas in the NCAA Elite 8 (Mar. 30), finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds to secure a spot on the NCAA Tournament Hemisfair All-Region Team
• Impacted the NCAA Tournament second-round game against Oregon State (Mar. 23) all over the floor, finishing with seven points, six rebounds and career-high tying five blocks
• Caught fire in the second quarter of NCAA Tournament first-round game against Mercer (Mar. 21) scoring eight of her game-high and career-high tying 20 points in the quarter
• Posted her third straight game in double figures with 11 points at Auburn (Feb. 4), while pulling down seven rebounds and tying her career high with three steals
• Controlled the glass at #21/19 Mississippi State (Jan. 28), snagging five of her 11 rebounds in the first quarter on the way to her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 boards
• Continued to show her glass cleaning skills against #22/23 Georgia (Jan. 21), tying the game high with 11 rebounds, including six on the offensive end, which tied her career high
• Was an offensive powerhouse at Vanderbilt (Jan. 14), scoring 13 of her career-high 20 points in the first half and finished the game going 9-of-10 from the field

Sophomore 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
• Ranked 11th in SEC in blocks per game (1.3), tied for sixth in conference games (1.6)
• Pulled down a team-high eight rebounds against Auburn (Feb. 13) and set a new career high for SEC games with four blocks while helping keep SEC’s top rebounder without a rebound in the second and third quarters
• Scored a pair of putbacks and added a free throw during 14-0 second-quarter run at Missouri (Jan. 16) that broke open a five-point game for good … logged her first career double-double, including career-high six offensive rebounds

Freshman Year (2018-19)

• Picked up SEC All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 4.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in league play
• Ranked eighth in the SEC in blocks per game (1.3), including five games of at least three blocked shots
• Was fouled on crucial offensive rebound and sank two clutch free throws with 1:24 to go against #25/22 Florida State (Mar. 24) to help Gamecocks hold on in NCAA Tournament second round
• Made her mark on the SEC with a strong five-game stretch to open February, posting 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game during the stretch and picking up SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 5
• Earned first career start against #16/17 Kentucky (Feb. 21), scoring five of her seven points in third quarter to help Gamecocks take first lead of the game
• Connected on four clutch free throws and grabbed four of her six second-half rebounds in the fourth quarter against Georgia (Feb. 14) to help deliver the win
• Scored 10 of her career-high 19 points in the Gamecocks’ 35-point fourth quarter at Arkansas (Feb. 3) and was perfect 7-of-7 from the field, including scoring on each of her five offensive rebounds
• Efficient offensively in college debut, hitting 4-of-5 from the field at Alabama State (Nov. 11)

High School

• Ranked No. 47 overall recruit in 2018 class and No. 6 forward by ESPN
• Captured Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class AA Player of the Year honors as a junior (2017) and senior (2018)
• Earned player of the year or co-player of the year honors from the Rome News-Tribune all four years of her high school career (2015-18)
• Was a four-time Northwest Georgia Tip-Off Club Player of the Year winner and a four-time Atlanta Journal Constitution First-Team Class II All-State selection (2015-18)
• Averaged 24.3 points and 14.9 rebounds as a senior, leading Devils to the Georgia Class AA Final Four
• Closed high school career as Model’s all-time leading scorer (2,622 points) and averaged a double-double throughout her career
• Helped Model to four straight Region 7-AA championships

Personal

• Daughter of Consuelo and Victor Saxton; has an older sister, Charron Woodley, and an older brother, Victor
• Graduated in May 2022 with a bachelor’s in criminology and criminal justice
• Pursuing a master’s degree in coaching education