DALLAS — If recent history is any indication, it’s a safe bet that South Carolina forward Victaria Saxton will be the first of her team’s five starters subbed out of Friday night’s national semifinal. But if and when she is, Saxton will head to the bench having already made women’s basketball history.
Upon her top-seeded Gamecocks’ tipping off against No. 2 Iowa, Saxton, a fifth-year senior, will have played in her 166th college contest. Already South Carolina’s all-time leader in appearances, she will become the NCAA’s women’s basketball record-holder in games played. Even if it wasn’t a goal for her. “Really?” Saxton says when informed of such a feat. “Well, clearly it’s not something I’ve thought about.”
Saxton is the ultimate utility player for South Carolina. A 6-foot-2 forward, she can defend the best bigs in the country and hold her own when switched out on guards. Last season, she finished in the 98th percentile in offensive rebounds, averaging 3.2 per game. For the Gamecocks, however, she is far more than just an on-court difference-maker. “Everything that our program stands for, that’s Victaria,” assistant coach Jolette Law says. That means being team orientated and selfless, and starring in one’s role. “I just thank God every…
