Excel’s Gamecock NIL roster gets even deeper with the addition of Hall, the South Carolina guard aiming to take a major step forward in 2022-23.
South Carolina fans have only been treated to a glimpse of what rising sophomore Bree Hall can do.
That’s not the five-star McDonald’s All-American’s fault. She joined a Gamecocks squad last year loaded with talent — maybe as loaded as any team Dawn Staley has ever had. And while that means Hall got to be a national champion in her first collegiate season, it also means she played fewer minutes than she ever had before.
“I was always willing to wait my turn,” she told Boardroom of her freshman year. “I’m tough. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to fight for my position. I think going to a school [where I] was gonna be handed my position was just probably not gonna be the best fit for me.
Hall knows her potential, and she reinforced that on Tuesday by announcing that she has signed with Excel Sports Management for name, image, and likeness representation.
This comes at a time when women’s basketball players are out-earning their male counterparts on NIL deals, according to data from Opendorse. In fact, women’s basketball trails only football in total name, image, and likeness compensation through April.
And at South Carolina, there is certainly a market for a baller like Hall with a world of potential. In 2019-20, the last full year with attendance numbers on record, the Gamecocks led the nation in average home attendance (12,218 per game), total home attendance (183,272), and total season attendance between home, road, and neutral site games (256,362).
With three years worth of college games in front of her, it was a no-brainer for Hall to sign with an agency to help maximize her off-court value. Staley recommended Excel, the agency that former Gamecock and current Indiana Fever rookie Destanni Henderson signed with last year. Excel also represents rising South Carolina senior Zia Cooke.
“[Staley said] my other teammates have been with Excel, they’re a really great fit for me, and a really great agency that could get me out there with great deals,” Hall said.
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Hall stayed relatively quiet in the NIL world last year, but expect that to change with some help from Excel. In the big picture, she sees opportunities to find her voice and make a statement by aligning with brands in the fashion and makeup spaces.
“I really want to become one of the faces of makeup and fashion and skincare when it comes to women’s basketball, because the stereotype is that women’s basketball is really a boy sport,” she said. “You know, you can’t be girly while playing. And I think one of the biggest things that I could really do for women’s basketball is just put my face out there and become one of the biggest advocates for fashion, beauty, and things like that.”
She’s already started to advocate for women’s basketball players in those industries on her own. She points to TikTok as the platform on which she can best blend her personality with her passion in pursuing those sorts of goals.
“I’m making videos dealing with makeup, skincare, things like that,” she said. “I’m trying to really grow my TikTok so I can really start building something with brands so they can see like, ‘oh, okay. I really like her personality. I really like how she does her videos.'”
Hall admits her TikTok has been slow to gain steam — she has 3,682 followers on the platform compared to over 16,000 on Instagram. But she did recently gain one critical follow: her head coach.
“[Staley] did make a TikTok account and followed me thinking I didn’t know it was her,” Hall said. “There’s no posts on it, but I know it’s her for sure.”
So you’ve been warned. When you open TikTok next basketball season, keep an eye out for a branded makeup video featuring Hall…and perhaps a like from Dawn Staley’s burner.
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