University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball Team Players to Each Receive the Opportunity for $25,000 in NIL Deals for Upcoming Season

COLUMBIA, S.C., September 28, 2022 – Through the efforts of Bakari Sellers and a group of other prominent alumni, each member of the reigning national championship University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team has been offered the opportunity to earn an average of $25,000 or more in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals over the course of the 2022-23 school year. Orchestrating the deals and deliverables are South Carolina NIL collective Garnet Trust and leading athlete sports marketing company NOCAP Sports.

“Consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the country, the University of South Carolina’s Women’s Basketball team includes some of the most sought-after influencers for leading brands when it comes to NIL opportunities,” said Jeremy Smith of Garnet Trust. “We hope this initiative serves as an example for future NIL commitments that help South Carolina’s student-athletes learn important business skills, including content marketing, financial planning and leadership. Thanks to the generous contributions of Bakari Sellers and other alums, each Women’s Basketball team member has the opportunity to set herself up for her future on and off the court.”

Each member of the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team will be responsible for various deliverables that involve community appearances, social media engagement, sponsored interviews, and other marketing and communications endeavors. Garnet Trust has been organizing deals for University of South Carolina student-athletes since the inception of NIL. Throughout the year, NOCAP Sports will engage national brands to offer opportunities for the Women’s Basketball team.

“The South Carolina community and alumni network are proud to support the reigning national champs as they continue to build the best program in the country,” said Bakari Sellers, a prominent South Carolina attorney, former member of the state’s House of Representatives and University of South Carolina School of Law alum. “NIL has created an awesome opportunity for these athletes to earn what they have always deserved, and we are excited to continue to support this team for years to come.”

This groundbreaking NIL deal is the first to bring together collective operations, national brands, fans and a sports marketing company in one initiative. This combination allows major brands to utilize NIL opportunities for national exposure while ensuring that student-athletes are compensated fairly and at market value.

After winning last year’s NCAA National Championship, the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team has significant momentum going into the 2022-23 season. With the team in the spotlight, student-athletes are poised to be presented with numerous NIL opportunities.

“This is a great thing for our program, and I appreciate the work that went into creating this new pathway for our players to have some assurances that they will have NIL deals coming this season,” said Dawn Staley, head coach of the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team. “Bakari Sellers has been passionate about women’s basketball for a long time, and it’s great to have him show up in this way for our program. I can’t wait to see what opportunities are in front of our players through this deal and what can come next for them and our program in this space.”

Slate Milk, a high-protein chocolate milk brand, is the first national company to work with the championship team to promote products. This is believed to be the first situation for any university in which national brands and a collective have been a part of the same initiative. Teamwide deals offer a new type of exposure for brands both at the local and national levels, and they give each athlete a chance to benefit from NIL, not only top-ranked players.

“It’s inspiring to see a group of athletes come together, work as hard as they can and achieve greatness,” said Anna Carr, Partnerships Manager of Slate Milk. “Our entire team is thrilled to be fueling the University of South Carolina Women’s Basketball team – and their journey toward a second straight championship – with our delicious, high protein drinks.”

Fans looking to connect with this initiative involving the University of South Carolina’s Women’s Basketball team may visit www.WBB.Garnettrust.com for more information.