Gaines, Eagles To Compete In South Carolina’s Thanksgiving Tourney Featuring HBCUs

DURHAM, N.C. – New North Carolina Central head women’s basketball coach Olivia Gaines returns to her alma mater when the Eagles compete in the inaugural PowHER Player Classic hosted by national power South Carolina during Thanksgiving Weekend.

The Eagles are one of three HBCU teams invited to the tournament, which will be held at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. NCCU tips off against Alabama A&M followed by South Carolina versus Tennessee State on Nov. 28. The championship and consolation games will take place on Nov. 29.

The pairings were announced on Thursday, Aug. 27. Game times will be announced at a later date.

A standout guard, Gaines contributed to South Carolina’s rise as an elite program under head coach Dawn Staley. During Gaines’ two seasons, the Gamecocks won the SEC Tournament, shared the regular-season title and reached the Final Four in 2015 while claiming the SEC regular-season crown in 2014.

“Having the opportunity to go back to a place where I once played and now return as a head coach is truly a surreal moment,” said Gaines, who graduated from South Carolina in 2015 with a sociology degree. “Coach Staley continues to do phenomenal work for HBCU women’s basketball and for the game as a whole, and I’m grateful to be part of an event that celebrates and elevates women’s basketball.”

Gaines is one of two head coaches in the tournament with ties to Staley. Tennessee State head coach Candice Dupree played under Staley at Temple.

This will be NCCU’s second trip to Colonial Life Arena in two seasons. South Carolina hosted the Eagles in a non-conference game in 2025.

In addition to the tournament, the PowHER Player Classic weekend features a holiday-based community service event, an NIL marketplace, and educational and networking sessions. A kickoff dinner is set on the eve of the tournament.