South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley is reloading her roster after three consecutive trips to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament final and two national championships in the past five seasons.
Five-star recruit Jezelle “GG” Banks announced on Saturday that she is committing to the Gamecocks. Banks — a 5-foot-10 guard out of The St. James Academy in Springfield, Virginia — is rated by Rivals as the No. 4 player nationally in the recruiting class of 2027 and the No. 1 combination guard.
GG Banks (#4 c/o 2027) commits to South Carolina live on Twitch! pic.twitter.com/Q3LmMSfog1
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) October 10, 2026
Banks said early in her high school career that she wanted to play for Staley, calling South Carolina her “dream school” on the “Protect Our Queens Podcast” in 2023.
“I love her energy, her enthusiasm, her passion for the game in general,” Banks told hosts Martin Soaries and Dwayne Marcus three years ago. “She always holds her players accountable.”
GG Banks talking about playing for Dawn Staley at her dream school South Carolina 3 years ago! pic.twitter.com/VSdgWxIJDc
— AirMouse (@AirMouseB) October 10, 2026
Banks received offers during her recruitment from LSU, Texas, Maryland, Penn State and Rutgers. At one point, LSU and coach Kim Mulkey were viewed as the favorite. The Tigers and Longhorns were considered finalists along with the Gamecocks.
“From my first time meeting Dawn, to Coach Jo [Jolette Law] and the staff making me feel right at home, I knew this was where I belonged,” Banks told ESPN’s Shane Laflin.
“They never just recruited me as a player, they recruited me as a person,” she added, “and they were honest with me about what it would take to get where I want to go. I want to compete for national championships, and I want to be pushed every single day.”
As a junior at St. James Academy, Banks scored 14.3 points per game while dishing out 5.4 assists, which earned her Naismith Second Team All-American honors.
This past summer, Banks averaged 19 points, 5.5 assists and 3 rebounds per game in the Nike EYBL. She was also on Team USA’s gold-medal winners in the U18 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup (with future Gamecocks teammate Kelsi Andrews), averaging 13.8 points and 6.2 assists.
Additionally, Banks was on the winning team of the WNBA All-Star Weekend’s Shooting Stars competition, playing on Team Washington with Shakira Austin and Elena Delle Donne.
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Banks is the second recruit to commit to South Carolina this week, joining four-star point guard Taylor Brown, ranked by Rivals as the No. 2 player at her position.
Staley and her staff have landed the No. 2 recruiting class for 2026, according to ESPN. The class is headlined by five-star power forward Oliviyah Edwards and five-star combo guard Jerzy Robinson.