GG Banks 'Takes Her Talents to South Carolina': 5-Star Guard Commits to Dawn Staley Over LSU and Texas

Oct. 10, 2026 — One of the most hyped recruiting battles in women's college basketball just got its answer, and it came with a line the internet will be quoting for weeks: "I'll be taking my talents to South Carolina."

Five-star point guard Jezelle "GG" Banks, ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2027 by ESPN, committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, choosing head coach Dawn Staley's program over fellow finalists LSU and Texas. The announcement instantly became one of the biggest recruiting stories of the weekend — part basketball news, part viral moment.

What happened at the commitment ceremony

Banks made her decision on a stage under a basket at the Chase Fieldhouse in her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, in front of family, friends, and a livestream audience on Twitch. After thanking her parents, siblings, grandmother, aunt, trainers, and coaches, she stood up and told the room to "get hype."

Then came the moment. Banks unzipped a gray adidas track jacket to reveal a South Carolina Gamecocks T-shirt, delivering the line — "I'll be taking my talents to South Carolina" — a direct nod to LeBron James' famous 2010 "Decision" announcement, exactly 16 years earlier. "Go, Gamecocks," she added, before dropping the other line that sent Gamecock fans into overdrive: "I'm ready to win the natty."

Why it's blowing up

Recruiting drama is oxygen for college sports fans, and this one had everything. Banks spent the last nine days before her decision building the suspense herself: she released three YouTube videos breaking down her official visits to LSU, South Carolina, and Texas, then went live on Twitch on Oct. 8 for nearly two hours. By the time she walked out on that stage in Delaware, the women's hoops internet was fully invested.

And the winner was, in hindsight, the program that has made a habit of winning these battles. The commitment marks the fourth straight year that Staley has secured a recruit ranked in the top six by ESPN — a recruiting streak few programs in the sport can match. It also stings for the losers: Kim Mulkey and LSU's staff had made a hard push for Banks over the final month of the race, and Texas was right there until the jacket came off.

The LeBron homage helped, too. Fans clipped the "taking my talents" moment within minutes, and the comparison to the most famous commitment announcement in sports history gave a recruiting ceremony something it rarely gets: mainstream meme energy.

The key facts on GG Banks

• Who: Jezelle "GG" Banks, a 5-foot-10 point guard from Wilmington, Delaware, and a five-star prospect ranked No. 4 nationally in the 2027 class by ESPN and 247Sports.
• Her school path: Banks played her first three high school seasons at Ursuline Academy in Delaware, earning first-team All-State honors every year and being named Delaware Player of the Year twice. She was the 2024-25 Gatorade Delaware Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 21.7 points and 4.8 assists as a sophomore. She transferred to the St. James Performance Academy in Virginia for her junior year, where she averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.4 steals per MaxPreps.
• National team résumé: Banks won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup, averaging 13.8 points and 6.2 assists across five games.
• The viral pedigree: This isn't Banks' first brush with virality. At 2026 WNBA All-Star weekend, she played in the Shooting Stars contest alongside WNBA legends, knocking down back-to-back deep three-pointers. And over the summer, a video comparing her game to Kyrie Irving racked up massive views — she now has more than 77,000 followers on Instagram.
• Who she joins: At South Carolina, Banks will reunite with former Ursuline teammate Taylor Brown, who committed to the Gamecocks just days earlier. She'll play for three-time NCAA champion coach Dawn Staley, who first offered Banks back in July 2023.

Sources: Delaware Online, Greenville Online, On3, Lafayette Daily Advertiser

What's next

South Carolina lost last year's national championship game to UCLA, 79-51, so Staley's message to the class of 2027 is obvious — and Banks said it herself: she's ready to win a natty. The Gamecocks' 2027 class now has two point guards (Banks and Brown) committed, and the program is still in the hunt for more top targets, including five-star wing Jordyn Palmer.

For Banks, the immediate future is her senior season at St. James and the buildup to arriving in Columbia as one of the most anticipated freshmen in the country. For the rest of us, the takeaway is simpler: Dawn Staley just did it again, and she did it in front of a Twitch audience.

Frequently asked questions

Who did GG Banks commit to?
Jezelle "GG" Banks committed to South Carolina women's basketball on Oct. 10, 2026, choosing the Gamecocks over finalists LSU and Texas.

Why is her announcement quote going viral?
Banks announced her pick with the line "I'll be taking my talents to South Carolina," a deliberate homage to LeBron James' famous 2010 "Decision" broadcast — and fans immediately started clipping and sharing the moment.

How highly ranked is GG Banks?
She is a five-star point guard ranked No. 4 overall in the Class of 2027 by ESPN (and No. 4 by 247Sports), making her one of the most coveted guards in the country.

Who else is in South Carolina's 2027 class?
Banks joins her former Ursuline Academy teammate Taylor Brown, who committed to the Gamecocks days earlier. Coach Dawn Staley has now landed a top-six ESPN recruit in four straight classes.