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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. − The small stature comes with a large aura.
Tay Harris weaved through the friends and family section for South Carolina women's basketball, and people noticed. Bouncing between high-fives, the 3-year-old girl greeted everyone, even Grammy Award winning rapper Plies.
Last week, as March Madness kicked off for the No. 1 seed Gamecocks, Tay's hair made headlines.
She arrived for the opener against Tennessee Tech with all the players and coach Dawn Staley's names braided into her hair. "The next generation," some wrote on social media. "Representation matters," flooded the comments section.
Though Tay won't be at the Sweet 16 when South Carolina (32-3) takes on No. 4 Maryland in Legacy Arena on Friday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN), she's become a staple of the players' lives.
Especially for freshman point guard Maddy McDaniel.
Early this season, McDaniel noticed Tay and her aunt, Emily, at games. Tay's tiny hand reached out for high-fives from all the players as they walked by to greet fans after home games. When Tay requested a photo with McDaniel, Tay asked to be held.
"I was shocked," McDaniel said. "Not a lot of babies gravitate towards people in that way. She was so sweet and just gravitated towards me. Ever since then, we've been so close."
As their bond strengthened, so did Tay's with the other players. She'd get dinner after games with McDaniel's family. There were bracelets exchanged. And by early March, she had pictures with every player and Staley.
During the season, McDaniel provided Tay two tickets for every home game. For the SEC tournament in Greenville, McDaniel made sure Tay was set with tickets and lodging.
"I knew around this time it would be harder to get tickets," McDaniel said. "I wanted to make sure Tay could still experience the Gamecock culture."
When the Gamecocks beat Texas in the SEC championship game, Tay wondered around the platform where South Carolina received the trophy, donning a custom Te-Hina Paopao shirt. She gathered as much confetti as her hands could hold, some of it draped around her neck. She took pictures with fans who began to recognize her, and bounced between celebratory photos, hugs and high-fives with players' families. She even took home a SEC championship hat.
"It's a good thing to see," McDaniel said. "She's young but she's so smart, so alert, she knows everything. She knows everyone's name. She's just such a sweet kid. It just warms my heart."
SWEET 16: South Carolina women's basketball vs Maryland prediction, pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament
McDaniel, who is averaging 3.4 points and 12.2 minutes per game off the bench, can usually turn to see her parents in the crowd, visiting for a game from Washington. D.C. For the majority of the season, she had her new-found family there as well.
"We always lock eyes, whenever I glance, she's usually the first the thing I see," McDaniel said.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina fan, 3 years old, braids players' names in her hair
Continue reading...
Tay Harris weaved through the friends and family section for South Carolina women's basketball, and people noticed. Bouncing between high-fives, the 3-year-old girl greeted everyone, even Grammy Award winning rapper Plies.
The Real MVP!!! This Young Queen Had Her Hair Braided With All The @GamecockWBB Players Names Is LEGENDARY!!!! I Was Honored To Meet This Future Superstar!!!!pic.twitter.com/k2lxDDUhlE
— Plies (@plies) March 24, 2025
Last week, as March Madness kicked off for the No. 1 seed Gamecocks, Tay's hair made headlines.
She arrived for the opener against Tennessee Tech with all the players and coach Dawn Staley's names braided into her hair. "The next generation," some wrote on social media. "Representation matters," flooded the comments section.
Though Tay won't be at the Sweet 16 when South Carolina (32-3) takes on No. 4 Maryland in Legacy Arena on Friday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN), she's become a staple of the players' lives.
Especially for freshman point guard Maddy McDaniel.
Early this season, McDaniel noticed Tay and her aunt, Emily, at games. Tay's tiny hand reached out for high-fives from all the players as they walked by to greet fans after home games. When Tay requested a photo with McDaniel, Tay asked to be held.
"I was shocked," McDaniel said. "Not a lot of babies gravitate towards people in that way. She was so sweet and just gravitated towards me. Ever since then, we've been so close."
As their bond strengthened, so did Tay's with the other players. She'd get dinner after games with McDaniel's family. There were bracelets exchanged. And by early March, she had pictures with every player and Staley.
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During the season, McDaniel provided Tay two tickets for every home game. For the SEC tournament in Greenville, McDaniel made sure Tay was set with tickets and lodging.
"I knew around this time it would be harder to get tickets," McDaniel said. "I wanted to make sure Tay could still experience the Gamecock culture."
When the Gamecocks beat Texas in the SEC championship game, Tay wondered around the platform where South Carolina received the trophy, donning a custom Te-Hina Paopao shirt. She gathered as much confetti as her hands could hold, some of it draped around her neck. She took pictures with fans who began to recognize her, and bounced between celebratory photos, hugs and high-fives with players' families. She even took home a SEC championship hat.
"It's a good thing to see," McDaniel said. "She's young but she's so smart, so alert, she knows everything. She knows everyone's name. She's just such a sweet kid. It just warms my heart."
SWEET 16: South Carolina women's basketball vs Maryland prediction, pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament
McDaniel, who is averaging 3.4 points and 12.2 minutes per game off the bench, can usually turn to see her parents in the crowd, visiting for a game from Washington. D.C. For the majority of the season, she had her new-found family there as well.
"We always lock eyes, whenever I glance, she's usually the first the thing I see," McDaniel said.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina fan, 3 years old, braids players' names in her hair
Continue reading...
