The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team may have lost the national championship to UCLA. But Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks have been on a recruiting tear in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, Staley stayed red-hot on the recruiting trail, landing French basketball star Justine Loubens, who is a small forward. Loubens joins South Carolina with four years of eligibility, and most recently played professionally for France's premier women’s professional league. Ligue Féminine de BasketBall.
“We’re excited to bring Justine into our Gamecock family,” Staley said of Loubens in South Carolina's official release. “She is one of the best shooters coming out of France, and her experience playing for her club and national teams have helped prepare her for the SEC battles to come.”
Signed, sealed, delivered!! Welcome home Justine 🤙
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 29, 2026
🔗: https://t.co/2tRaekjwp4 pic.twitter.com/2p1w2CJOgN
Playing for La Rouce Vendee most recently, Loubens averaged 6.5 points and 2. 5 rebounds and shooting 63.9 percent from the field across 24 games. For the 2024-25 season, she played for Centre Dederal BB Paris in France’s second-tier league, averaging 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
Loubens is the second player from France to arrive in Columbia. Last season, Staley landed LFB's Alicia Tournebize, who averaged four points and 3.4 rebounds in 20 games for South Carolina last year.
Staley has been on a red-hot recruiting tear in recent weeks. The Gamecocks landed star transfer Jordan Lee from Texas a couple weeks ago, and signed former 5-star Tennessee signee Oliviyah Edwards just last week. Before Louben's signing, ESPN recently projected South Carolina as 2026-27's No. 1 overall seed in their bracketology projections.
South Carolina fans, say bonjour to your newest Gamecock!
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