South Carolina women’s basketball cancels series with BYU after racial slur incident

The South Carolina women’s basketball team has canceled a scheduled two-game series with BYU in the wake of an alleged racist incident involving a BYU fan, USC announced on Friday.

“As a head coach, my job is to do what’s best for my players and staff,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said in a news release. “The incident at BYU has led me to reevaluate our home-and-home, and I don’t feel that this is the right time for us to engage in this series.”

The incident Staley referenced occurred on Aug. 26 when Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson’s family alleged she was repeatedly called a racial slur by a fan during a contest at BYU, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

BYU banned the fan, a white male, from future sporting events after he was identified by the Duke team. However, campus police told the Salt Lake Tribune on Friday the fan who was banned may not have been the culprit.

The Gamecocks and Cougars were scheduled to play in this year’s season opener and again during the 2023-2024 season. South Carolina is working to fill that slot on Nov. 7 with another opponent.

“Dawn and I have discussed her thoughts on the situation,” South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said in a news release. “I support Dawn and all of our coaches in their right to schedule games and opponents that are best for their teams.”