Dawn Staley asks for prayers as she works to get three Black former Gamecocks players out of Israel

Tiffany Mitchell, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and Destiny Littleton are all former South Carolina Gamecocks currently stuck in Israel.

As U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran intensified over the weekend, Dawn Staley has been working behind the scenes to help three former Black South Carolina Gamecocks safely get out of Israel.

On Saturday, Feb. 28, the 55-year-old award-winning basketball coach asked for prayers for Tiffany Mitchell, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and Destiny Littleton, who are currently overseas as tensions escalate.

“Please pray for our @GamecockWBB @TiffMitch25 @2121Mikiah @dstnylttltn24 who are in a war zone in Israel,” she wrote in a post on X. “We are working a plan to get home. Let us pray for our loved ones to return home safely asap! Thank you in advance.”

Littleton has also been keeping followers updated. In multiple videos posted to X from Jerusalem, she confirmed she was safe, and that she was packing her belongings and heading to a teammate’s home equipped with a shelter as sirens blared in the background.

“I’m just trying to stay calm,” Littleton said. “I really don’t want to even be out here on the streets. I’ll keep you updated.”

Later over the weekend, she told ESPN, “I am doing all right — shaken up but blessed to be safe. There are current options being looked at and [we’ll] know more information once we have executed those options to safely get out.”

Littleton is playing for Elitzur Ramla, Mitchell for Hapoel Rishon LeZion, and Herbert Harrigan for Maccabi Bnot Ashdod, all teams in Israel’s top women’s league.

The three athletes, who suited up for South Carolina between 2016 and 2023, are among many American players who compete internationally during the WNBA offseason.

The latest wave of violence in the region follows coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure, a controversial escalation that Iranian state media reports resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of civilians, including schoolchildren. The Pentagon has also confirmed American casualties in the region, though specific figures remain fluid as the situation develops.

In response, the U.S. State Department has urged American citizens in Israel and surrounding areas to shelter in place, enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, and monitor official guidance for evacuation or assisted departure options as commercial flights face disruption.

The crisis concerning the three players underscores a long-standing reality for many women’s professional basketball players. With WNBA salaries significantly lower than their male counterparts, countless athletes head overseas in the offseason to supplement their income, often in regions that can quickly become volatile. Expanding domestic opportunities and increasing pay has been a growing priority across the league and players’ association in recent years.

As of Monday, March 2, there had been no additional update beyond Staley thanking supporters for their prayers as efforts to secure their safe return continue.

“Thank you everyone for praying for our @GamecockWBB players and family members,” she wrote on X. “Please keep them covered in prayer until they are home! Appreciate it!”