The Grind, Presented by Bank of Clarendon: From the concrete: Talaysia Cooper blossoms from trailer park court to superstardom

If you've paid any attention to girls basketball in the state of South Carolina over the past six years, you probably know the name Talaysia Cooper.

The East Clarendon star made the leap to varsity as a seventh-grader, scoring 1,000 points and winning a state title before she started high school. In the last calendar year, Talaysia was named the South Carolina Girls Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American and became a 3,000-point scorer.

All of that basketball success started with humble beginnings on a basketball court in the trailer park where she grew up.

"I used to be at the basketball court every day just to hoop and get better," Talaysia said. "We used to be at the trailer park hooping all the time. It's just a small town. You can't really do too much."

On that court she learned about the drive it takes to create the success she has already garnered. It inspired her to grow past her modest roots. It also forced her to improve in the sport she loved at an early age as she grew up playing against grown men as often as she faced fellow grade-schoolers.

"It helped me a lot because the physicalness. They didn't treat me like I was younger than them. They always treated me like I was up on their level," Talaysia said. "By treating me like that, once you know that you're not on their level, it's going to make you work even harder to get on their level or even better to get the respect that you want."

Growing up in a small town like Turbeville taught Talaysia two things: you have to work for everything you want, and the community will always have your back.

"It's a family. I know everyone here. I know they support me," Talaysia said. "It's never a dull moment. If I need something, I know I can ask them. They have my back and I have theirs."

TALAYSIA'S TURNING POINT

Talaysia's potential for stardom was apparent at an early age.

When she was in sixth grade, she was told she couldn't play in her recreation league because she was so much better than her peers. She went to Columbia to play AAU ball instead, but she missed playing with her friends.

"I was kind of hurt. I didn't like it. I didn't want nobody to feel like I thought I was better than them," Talaysia said. "I just wanted to be out on the court having fun with everyone else. We can have fun together."

In seventh grade, everything started to change.

At East Clarendon, she tried out with all of the middle schoolers and high schoolers. She was invited to practice with the varsity and was officially named to the team.

She wasn't quite sure she was ready, but she was excited.

"I was nervous at first because I thought I wouldn't be able to hang with the big girls, and obviously I did," the Lady Wolverine said. "It really didn't faze me because I was used to playing with grown men at the basketball court, and they used to treat me just like them. I was afraid at first because I thought they would pick on me and joke around, but they didn't."

Talaysia's seventh-grade year was also transformative because she attended her first camp at the University of South Carolina.

She impressed head coach Dawn Staley immediately.

The Gamecock head coach offered her on the spot.

Talaysia was too young to realize how big of a deal that was at the time, but it became a turning point in her basketball career.

"As I got older and started seeing that they were really interested - they started talking to me, other college coaches started calling - I just knew then that I had to take it seriously," she said. "I just knew then that I had to keep working … Basketball is my only way out."

SHINING WITH THE LADY WOLVERINES

So Talaysia put in the work.

While other coaches tried to pull her to different sports, Talaysia was laser focused on basketball. That focus paid off.

She reached heights many high school athletes only wish to achieve in four years while she was still in middle school. She scored her 1,000th point in the 1A lower state championship in eighth grade. She helped earn the program's first state title with a 55-31 win over Timmonsville a few days later, leading the team in scoring with 18 points.

"I just wanted to be great," Talaysia said. "Every chance I get, I want to be on the court. If I can't be on the court, I ain't happy. So I put in the work and perform at my best."

Despite that drive, Talaysia has yet to play for another title.

"We could have five rings already. I don't know what happened," she said. "If it ain't meant (to be), then it's not meant to be. I know, definitely, this is our year to get a ring though. This is our year."

East Clarendon moved up to 2A during Talaysia's freshman season, and they fell to Mullins in the lower state championship. In 2020, they were knocked out in the second round.

Talaysia's junior season was ravaged by COVID-19. East Clarendon moved back down to 1A and earned a No. 1 seed in the playoffs but suffered a shocking loss to the eventual champions, Military Magnet, in the first round.

In that game, Talaysia was plagued by fouls, all of which were called by the same official.

"We was doing good that game, then that one ref, man, he must not have liked us or something," Talaysia recalled. "Anything I would do, they called a foul. I didn't even have to touch them. He would've called a foul. That's what got me frustrated. He just wanted us to lose that game."

That loss stung for Talaysia and the Lady Wolverines. It drove them to come back to practice locked in on a singular goal.

"Over the summer, after that tough loss, we got in the gym, worked out, lifted weights, and we were determined to win a ring this year. And we will," Talaysia said. "It motivated us that people wanted to see us lose, so we have to show them that no one can stop us."

THE SELFLESS STAR

A championship would cap off a perfect senior season for Talaysia.

Over the summer, she was named the South Carolina Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She followed that up by being named a McDonalds All-American, scoring her 3,000th point and having her jersey hung in the rafters at East Clarendon all in the same week in late January.

Despite the recognition, Talaysia remains a humble star.

She hates talking about herself. In fact, when she's away from basketball and hanging out with friends, basketball doesn't even come up.

"I don't really know how to feel because I never thought that I'd be the person from Turbeville, South Carolina, to be somebody like this," Talaysia said. "The ones that know me know I really don't care about (the recognition). I care, but I don't care about all of that. I just work hard, and I get what I work for. I really don't care what anyone else thinks on the outside because I know what I am."

That humility translates to the basketball court.

Talaysia is a spectacular passer, regularly getting all of her teammates involved even if the easiest path to victory would be her dribbling up and down the court.

"I was taught that it's a team, and there's no 'I' in team. It's 'we'," Talaysia said. "Once everybody gets involved and they get on their game and they start scoring, then that team doesn't just have to worry about you, they have to worry about the whole team.

"I just like to see my team happy. As long as we're winning and everybody is scoring, I don't really care."

Sharing the ball is also a way of ensuring that East Clarendon continues to thrive after Talaysia leaves. She doesn't want to see the Lady Wolverines crumble when she graduates.

"Right now, our middle school team has some good girls, and if they continue to work out like we're supposed to, we're going to continue to win games and the team can be like we were the last few years," Talaysia said. "So I'm going to make sure they get in the gym and work out and keep East Clarendon on the map."

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE GAMECOCKS

Once Talaysia's days at East Clarendon are done, she will join the first program to offer her.

She'll team up with a slew of fellow McDonald's All-Americans at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been ranked No. 1 all year.

She's excited to see how her game continues to grow under Staley.

"I love her to death. She's cool. She's going to talk to you like her own. She's going to push you to do better. She doesn't show no different type of love to anybody else," Talaysia said. "I know she's going to push me hard to get me where I need to go. Only thing I have to do is show that I care and want to be there and work hard.

"If you have a coach that's going to help you, you're going to get it."

Talaysia will also be surrounded by more talent than she ever has been.

In the early days of the recruiting process, the idea of playing on the biggest stage in college basketball was difficult to comprehend.

"I used to stress about it, thinking I'm not going to be ready for it," she said. "A coach like Coach Staley, she's going to get me ready. She's going to make me work, and I have to make myself work hard if I really want it. I'm going to work hard, and I'm going to get what I want."

Talaysia sees playing for South Carolina as another chance to prove any doubters wrong.

"Everybody tells me when I go to South Carolina, I won't get no playing time. I don't care about playing time," Talaysia said. "If I've got to come off the bench and do what I have to do, and at the end of the day I'm going to root for my teammates because that's what you're supposed to do. As long as you're doing your part, don't worry about the next person. Worry about yourself."

Playing on a national stage also makes Talaysia a beacon of hope for the young girls in Turbeville with dreams of getting out. She's honored to set that example for a younger generation.

"I like kids. Right now, they write me little notes and stuff, and all I can do is thank them," she said. "I just want to let them know that there's nothing that can stop you from doing what you want to. If you have a dream, go get it. Don't let nothing stop you."

Talaysia will represent all of Turbeville at South Carolina. She takes pride in being able to show the rest of the world what her hometown is all about.

"Growing up, I never had to worry about nothing because I knew they had me," Talaysia said. "It's just a small town where you know everybody. It's just a lot of support."