Victaria Saxton
Victaria Saxton (born November 10, 1999) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. She was drafted in the Third Round of the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Fever. She played college basketball at South Carolina, where she won a National Championship during the 2021–22 season.
| No. 5 – Indiana Fever | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| League | WNBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 10, 1999 Rome, Georgia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 181 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Model High School (Rome, Georgia) |
| College |
|
| WNBA draft | 2023: 3rd round, 25th overall pick |
| Selected by the Indiana Fever | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023-present | Indiana Fever |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
College career
Saxton came out of high school as the 47th rated recruit of the 2018 Class per ESPN's HoopGurlz rankings and the 6th rated forward.[1] In November 2017, Saxton signed to play with the South Carolina Gamecocks.[2]
During her freshman season, Saxton was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after averaging 4.1 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game.[3] During the 2020–21 season, Saxton was named to the All-Hemisfair Team during the NCAA Tournament.[4]
After falling in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2021, Saxton and the Gamecocks returned to the Final Four in 2022 and defeated the UConn Huskies in the title game to secure the program's second women's basketball national title.[5] Saxton returned to Carolina for her COVID-Extra Year in 2022–23.[6]
During her seasons at South Carolina, Saxton was part of teams that won three SEC Regular-Season championships, three SEC Tournament titles, three NCAA Final Four showings, and were ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll for 38 straight weeks, the second-longest streak in the history of that poll.[7]
College statistics
| * | Denotes seasons in which Saxton won an NCAA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | South Carolina | 28 | 116 | .571 | .000 | .581 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 4.1 |
| 2019–20 | South Carolina | 33 | 177 | .570 | .000 | .574 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 5.4 |
| 2020–21 | South Carolina | 31 | 277 | .573 | .000 | .628 | 5.8 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 8.9 |
| 2021–22* | South Carolina | 37 | 215 | .503 | .000 | .642 | 5.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 5.8 |
| 2022–23 | South Carolina | 37 | 182 | .456 | .500 | .692 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 4.9 |
| Career | 166 | 967 | .531 | .333 | .624 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 5.8 |
Professional career
Indiana Fever
Saxton was drafted 25th overall in the Third Round of the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.[8] Saxton made the Opening Night roster for the Fever and joined Gamecock teammate and #1 pick in the 2023 Draft, Aliyah Boston, on the Fever roster. Saxton made her WNBA debut on May 19, 2023, playing 1 minute against the Connecticut Sun.
References
- "2018 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- Whittle, John. "Staley adds Victaria Saxton to 2018 class". 247sports.com. 247 Sports. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- "2019 SEC Women's Basketball Awards announced". secsports.com. SEC Sports. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- Boynton, Eric. "South Carolina women's basketball crushes Texas to advance to the Final Four". goupstate.com. Go Upstate. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- PUTNIK, GARY; SUBHAN, AMNA. "South Carolina wins 2022 DI women's basketball national championship". NCAA.com. NCAA. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- Stone, Augusta. "'Let's Run It Back: Gamecock veteran Victaria Saxton will return for a final season". thestate.com. The State. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- "Victaria Saxton". gamecocksonline.com. South Carolina Athletics. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- Adams, Emily. "Victaria Saxton picked No. 25 in 2023 WNBA Draft by Indiana Fever, joining Aliyah Boston". greenvilleonline.com. Greenville News. Retrieved 28 May 2023.