South Carolina Women's Basketball coach Staley seeks return of ex-players in Israel
Dawn Staley urged quick action to bring three former players home after U. S. and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a wave of Iranian counterattacks that struck Israeli cities and put athletes playing in Israel at risk. The plea matters now because the three ex-players are in the country’s top league and one posted panicked footage from Jerusalem showing civilians seeking shelter.
Staley's plea for south carolina women's basketball alumni
Staley posted a public appeal on social media, writing, "We are working a plan to get home. Let us pray for our loved ones to return home safely asap! Thank you in advance. " She named three former program members as being in the area of concern and urged prayers and a safe return.
Destiny Littleton's footage from Jerusalem
One of the former players, who is currently playing for an Israeli club, posted a series of updates showing frantic movement to shelters as sirens sounded and drones and projectiles were visible in the sky. In one clip she said, "I'm just trying to stay calm, " and in another, while searching for a shelter, she said, "Trying to find the saferoom, but I can't find it. " She later described leaving a shelter she found uncomfortable, saying the space "couldn't fit five people" and that she had heard "the booms all over" as explosions took place around the city.
South Carolina Women's Basketball ex-players named
Staley identified Tiffany Mitchell, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and Destiny Littleton as the former players in Israel’s domestic league. All three are noted as playing in Israeli teams in the country’s top women’s competition. The three have overlapping ties to the program at different times, and Staley framed her social-media message as a push to get them home safely.
University response and current updates
A university spokesperson said there was no additional information beyond Staley’s social-media post. Littleton continued to post brief updates about her immediate situation, at one point noting a period that had been "siren free and boom sound free for the last couple of hours. " Those updates remain the clearest public window into conditions on the ground for the players named by Staley.
Near-term implications and what to watch
The central developments to monitor are further travel or evacuation plans for the three athletes and any formal announcements from the university. Staley’s message indicates a plan is being worked, and public updates from the players are the main observable indicators of their status at this time. If official travel or evacuation steps are confirmed, those would be the next concrete signals of movement toward reunification with family and the program community.
Key takeaways
- Dawn Staley is actively seeking to bring three former players home amid strikes and counterattacks in Israel.
- Destiny Littleton shared panicked footage from Jerusalem showing sirens, sheltering and explosions.
- The university says no additional information is available beyond Staley’s social-media post.
