How Dawn Staley, South Carolina landed French recruit Justine Loubens
Dawn Staley added the final piece to her 2026 recruiting class with the signing of Justine Loubens on April 29.
The addition gives South Carolina women’s basketball two French players on the roster, as Loubens will join fellow national team member and rising sophomore Alicia Tournebize for the 2026-27 season.
Unlike the recruitment of Tournebize, Loubens’ recruitment by the Gamecocks wasn’t as public. When Staley went after Tournebize, she teased a trip to France on social media. The 6-foot-7 forward was later greeted with “We want Alicia!” chants from the crowd in Colonial Life Arena during her official visit.
Tournebize signed with South Carolina on Dec. 22 and joined the team in January.
Sometime after Tournebize became a Gamecock, Loubens’ agent contacted Staley.
That — combined with a visit from the French National Team’s head coach, Jean-Aimé Toupane, to Columbia — kicked South Carolina’s recruitment of Loubens up a notch, Staley told The State in late May at the SEC Spring Meetings in Miramar Beach, Florida.
“ When their national team coach came to visit Alicia for a weekend, and he just saw her progression, saw the type of program we ran because he came to a few of our practices, it became a lot easier to recruit Justine,” Staley said.
Tournebize’s presence in general also aided in the recruitment of Loubens, Staley said.
Loubens and Tournebize were international teammates, representing the French National Team at the 2025 FIBA U18 Eurobasket event and the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup.
Loubens is from L’Isle-Jourdain in the southern part of France, located roughly 4.5 hours away from Tournebize’s hometown of Vichy. The connection between the two helped, but Toupane’s confidence in Staley’s program seems to have been the proverbial cherry on top of Loubens’ recruitment.
“I think it all helps,” Staley told The State. “When you see another fellow countrywoman there, and happy, and can actually speak on her experience in a short period of time, I do think it makes it easier. I also think it makes it easier … when the national team coach says this is where she needs to be. I think it speaks volumes for what he needs from her, and what we’re able to do for them.”
Loubens projects to be a solid rotational piece in her freshman year with the Gamecocks. She’s part of a loaded 2026 recruiting class that touts three five-star recruits and ranks No. 2 in the country.
Like all international recruits, Loubens isn’t listed in ESPN’s Top 100 recruiting rankings but is considered a four-star recruit by the outlet’s WBB recruiting analyst Shane Laflin.
Loubens adds some sharp-shooting capabilities to South Carolina’s roster. The 6-foot-1 guard is coming off a stint with La Roche Vendee, a pro team in France. In 24 games she averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 63.9% from the field.
“She is one of the best shooters coming out of France, and her experience playing for her club and national teams have helped prepare her for the SEC battles to come,” Staley said in an April news release.
The State’s Jordan Kaye contributed to the reporting of this article.
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 7:00 AM with the headline "How Dawn Staley, South Carolina landed French recruit Justine Loubens."
