Super Sub: Henderson provides big spark off bench

Good enough to start, Destanni Henderson provides big spark off bench ALWAYS READY

Destanni Henderson started nine games for South Carolina last season and played 13 minutes or more in 20 of them, including 30 at Florida, 29 against Texas A&M, 27 against Kentucky and 16 against Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.

She was a key component for the team, providing a steady hand off the bench. She was also one of the team’s prominent voices.

It was widely believed Henderson would enter the starting lineup this season with the loss of guards Bianca Cuevas-Moore, Te’a Cooper, Nelly Perry, Doniyah Cliney and Bianca Jackson.

But not so fast.

The sophomore Henderson had not started any games for the Gamecocks entering the NCAA Tournament, though she was a star off the bench. She averaged the fifth-most minutes on the team (23.4 per game), had the second most assists and third most steals.

“Every player, no matter what they say, wants to start,” Dawn Staley said in late January. “[But Destanni is] a pretty emotionless kid. She’s not going to let you see what she’s thinking. She always has great responses. You’re not going to shake her equilibrium.”

The South Carolina head coach admitted there was a dip in Henderson’s play for a few days after she announced her starting lineup, but Henderson quickly turned that around.

“Great players are able to bounce back and figure it out … and that’s what she has done,” Staley said.

Henderson shined in the SEC Tournament, scoring a careerhigh 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting (4-of-9 from 3) and had four assists and three rebounds in the semifinal win over Arkansas.

“I just saw the [Destanni] that I’ve always seen,” South

By Josh Hyber | Staff Writer • Photo by Artie Walker Jr.

Carolina guard Zia Cooke said. “A lot of people haven’t had the chance to see how good she really is. I thought she should have gotten Sixth Man of the Year. She can be a starter. She’s very good.”

Said Henderson, “It felt good having an early start, knocking down shots, just staying in the flow of the game, moving up and down the court really.

“It can be hard sometimes coming off the bench, not knowing the flow of the game, having a slow start. But today I came out ready, confident, ready to shoot the ball, running up and down the floor, playing good defense. Just like communicating and playing with my team.”

A Henderson 3 — which she emphasized by holding her follow through — gave South Carolina a 65-48 third-quarter lead over the Razorbacks, and a three-point play four minutes into the fourth quarter gave her the career-high.

“Whenever her number is called, Destanni is ready to do anything you need her to do. She’s so fast, who can stop her? Pullups, anything,” LeLe Grissett said.

Added Ty Harris, “She was in her bag today. She was shooting 3s, midrange, assisting and playing point guard. We just had to get her the ball and continue to see what she could do.”

The SEC Tournament performance was an exclamation point on an already successful season for the Fort Myers, Fla. product. She had 10 points and seven assists in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal against Georgia. She had eight assists against Kentucky. She had a career-high five steals at Temple on Dec. 7, the most by a Gamecock since 2018.

On Jan. 29, Henderson spoke about her role.

“I’m definitely a starter,” she said. “Coach always tells me all the time that I’m a starter and I’m capable of starting. I just have to stay positive no matter what my role is. I’ve just got to feed into that and feed off the energy of the team and give them energy when I’m on the bench.

“I’ve just got to have my mind right when I’m on the bench.”

That comment came after Henderson had 14 points and six assists at Georgia — a performance on the heels of a discussion with Staley about a dip in overall bench play.

“I got it,” she told Staley. “I’m focused. I’m good.”

“That’s the Destanni we know, that’s the Destanni we’ll need in order for us to keep having success,” the coach said. “She’s taken onus [of the second unit]. … When she’s going, we’re a different basketball team.”

A top player nationally in high school, Henderson admits it’s not always easy playing fewer minutes than some of her teammates.

“Sometimes I have to [make sure I’m keeping] my head in the game … so when coach does come to me, I’m prepared,” she said.

She has been, and is a major factor in South Carolina’s success.

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