Coach Dawn Staley mobilizes efforts to safely return former Gamecocks home from a volatile war zone in Israel.
South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley said Saturday she is working to bring three former Gamecocks home from Israel, where escalating military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has left the players stranded in a war zone.
Staley posted on X, asking fans to pray for Tiffany Mitchell, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and Destiny Littleton, all of whom are currently playing professionally in Israeli basketball leagues, as joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iranian targets triggered retaliatory missile attacks across the region.
"Please pray for our @GamecockWBB @TiffMitch25 @2121Mikiah @dstnylttltn24 who are in a war zone in Israel," Staley wrote. "We are working a plan to get home. Let us pray for our loved ones to return home safely asap!"
The University of South Carolina has not released a formal statement on the players' whereabouts or condition, and Israeli women's league officials have not publicly outlined contingency plans for American players competing in the country.
Littleton, a guard currently under contract with Hapoel Lev Jerusalem in the Israeli Women's Basketball Premier League, posted a series of short videos to social media in which she could be seen preparing to take shelter amid air-raid alerts. She described the situation as "unfortunate" but said she was safe.
The 25-year-old played at South Carolina from 2019 to 2022, helping the Gamecocks reach consecutive Final Fours. She also won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2017 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup.
Mitchell, an eight-year WNBA veteran who split last season between the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm, has a long history of playing overseas during the winter months and previously won a domestic championship during an earlier stint in Israel. She recently announced a deal with Beijing Great Wall in China, though her current club status in Israel remains unclear. Mitchell reshared Staley's post with a praying hands emoji but did not comment further.
Herbert Harrigan, selected sixth overall in the 2020 WNBA Draft, is playing this season for Elitzur Ramla after appearing for several WNBA franchises, including the Phoenix Mercury and Dallas Wings. She also reshared Staley's post without additional comment.
The escalation comes after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets Saturday. Iran responded with missile attacks aimed at U.S. and Israeli interests across the region. Early reports indicated missiles struck inside Israel and near American assets, though officials said there were no immediate U.S. casualties.
Travel out of the region has grown increasingly complicated as security conditions deteriorate and the threat of further exchanges persists. Women's basketball players from the United States have long relied on overseas leagues during the WNBA offseason, with Israel historically among the destinations for American professionals.
The wider women's basketball community has been monitoring the situation as it develops. For Staley and the South Carolina program, the focus Saturday was straightforward — finding a way to get three former players out of a conflict zone and safely back to the United States.