This Monday, November 2, 2026, Alicia Tournebize and Justine Loubens take to the floor at Paris’s Adidas Arena for a celebrated homecoming that links multiple generations of French basketball. Competing for the premier South Carolina Gamecocks, the pair of French teenagers kick off their 2026–2027 NCAA campaign against Maryland as the featured fixture of the Oui-Play 2026 tournament, according to Basket Europe.
South Carolina Opens the Parisian Showcase
The high-profile doubleheader at the Adidas Arena begins at 6:00 p.m. local time, with a live broadcast on ESPN reaching viewers back on the American East Coast by noontime. Following the Gamecocks and Terps, North Carolina squares off against Oklahoma at 20:30. Admission prices for the facility vary between €13 and €50, featuring discounted rates designed for job seekers and minors.
AND WE'RE OFF‼️ pic.twitter.com/PUNwnxnuBQ
Head coach Dawn Staley is initiating her team’s schedule inside the French capital for the second time across a span of four seasons. Back in November 2023, South Carolina triumphed over Notre Dame with a score of 100–71 before a packed house at the Halle Georges-Carpentier during the inaugural regular-season NCAA women’s contest hosted outside the United States. Prior to the opening tip-off on Monday, Staley provided her roster with a week immersed in Parisian culture, featuring visits to the Musée du Louvre alongside an official reception hosted at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. Furthermore, the head coach outfitted her squad members in bespoke Louis Vuitton items—incorporating customized gym bags and wallets—fitting for a fashion house based in the very city where she routinely wears its apparel on the sidelines.
Carrying Forward a Legacy in Tricolour
Donning the identical collegiate uniform within their native country holds a profound historical significance for both Tournebize and Loubens. Tournebize counts Isabelle Fijalkowski as her mother, whereas Loubens is the daughter of Laétitia Moussard—a pair of legendary athletes who secured the European Championship alongside the French national team during 2001 in Le Mans.
Last year, the 2.00-meter forward put up averages of 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds through 20 appearances of limited playing time, culminating in a gritty showing during the NCAA championship game against UCLA where she pulled down six rebounds.
Emerging from the INSEP talent incubator, she initially intended to put pen to paper with Tarbes before the organization filed for bankruptcy.
She subsequently found a home at La Roche Vendée for the 2025–2026 campaign, posting averages of 6.5 points and 2.4 rebounds prior to that squad’s drop down to Ligue 2, which catalyzed her journey across the Atlantic while retaining four full years of playing eligibility.
The Broader Tide of French Talent in the NCAA
The inclusion of Tournebize and Loubens wearing South Carolina gear highlights a much broader exodus of French basketball talent heading toward the U.S. collegiate network.
Face to this wave of departures, French basketball institutions have adjusted their approach. The Fédération Française de Basketball missioned Arnaud Guppillotte to track the women’s sector across the Atlantic, while the Ligue Nationale de Basketball has opened a dialogue channel with American university basketball.
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