South Carolina's Alicia Tournebize celebrates mother's hall of fame basketball career
KNOXVILLE, TN — For most of Alicia Tournebize‘s life, she’s been the performer.
Her mother Isabelle Fijalkowski‘s role has evolved.
When Tournebize started playing basketball in France, her mother was her coach, her teacher, but eventually as her daughter grew older, the role changed. She was able to just watch and appreciate.
The last six months have been transformative for the duo. In December, the 18-year-old Tournebize left professional basketball in her home country and joined coach Dawn Staley‘s South Carolina women’s basketball program.
The support ensued but expanded as Fijalkowski witnessed Tournebize play in her first NCAA Women’s Tournament just two months after moving her to Columbia.
But on June 27, the roles were reversed.
Fijalkowski was one of eight inducted in the 2026 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame for a decorated basketball career that included Europe and the United States.
Tournebize, donning a black pant suit that mirrored her mother’s, sat in the third row of the Tennessee Theatre with her father, listening intently and beaming with pride as she wiped away tears.
“My daughter, you’re writing your own story now at South Carolina with coach Dawn Staley,” Fijalkowski said before the crowd roared. “Watching you carry that same love for the game, that same fire, just knowing you’re out there doing what you like, what you love, that is everything to me.”
Alicia Tournebize is here in Knoxville for her mom’s Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction pic.twitter.com/nkyJ4xuvB9
— Lulu Kesin (@LuluKesin) June 28, 2026
Isabelle Fijalkowski inducted in Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
Fijalkowski, was a 6-foot-5 center from Clermont-Ferrand, France, and played one college season for Colorado in 1994-95. She carried the Buffs to an undefeated conference record, a Big Eight Conference tournament championship and an Elite Eight appearance.
In 1997, she became the first Frenchwoman selected in the WNBA draft and the next year helped the Cleveland Rockers win the Eastern Conference championship.
She spent two seasons in the WNBA before returning to France. She finished her career as a two-time EuroLeague champion and five-time French League champion. She won silver at the 1999 EuroBasket Women Championship and helped France qualify its first Olympics, finishing fifth at the 2000 Summer Games.
Fijalkowski was inducted in the French Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2020 but never thought the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame would follow suit.
Sitting in the car one day, she got the call and received the news.
“It’s incredible because you never dream, never think it can happen for you,” Fijalkowski told The Greenville News. “I’m a French player, and it’s a great honor, and totally unexpected and being here it means a lot. It’s really moving.”
Alicia Tournebize finally gets to watch her mom’s success
April 3 marked many things for South Carolina families.
It was the day Staley coached in her sixth consecutive Final Four. It was the day the Gamecocks displayed near perfect defense. It was when South Carolina beat UConn to advance to a third straight national championship appearance.
For Tournebize, it wasn’t just her first Final Four appearance. The day was a combination of the family’s past and present.
While Staley was going over halftime adjustments, Fijalkowski and the other inductees from the 2026 Hall of Fame class were honored on the court.
“It was really amazing,” Fijalkowski said. “We were like kids at the Final Four, watching not only Alicia, but the whole event … we were like in Disneyland for basketball.”
Alicia Tournebize now at South Carolina, with Dawn Staley
After playing professionally for Tango Bourges Basket in France, Tournebize moved to Columbia on Jan. 1, and played in her first game Jan. 15.
The 6-7 Tournebize averaged 4.0 points and 3.4 rebounds and shot 41.8% from the floor across 20 games this past season.
Fijalkowski still lives in France so she won’t get to every game or moment of Tournebize’s journey with South Carolina.
“It wasn’t so difficult because I used to be at the same place and I know how important is it (playing college basketball) and what an opportunity is it. So I let her go, and I know she’s in good hands,” Fijalkowski said. “The distance is not so important for me, it’s the place she’s in and she’s in the best place she can be.”
Tournebize got to see her mother honored for a career that started by taking that leap to move to the United States to play college basketball 32 years ago, knowing she just did the same four months ago.
“Fijalkowski is being inducted based on her professional and international achievements. In the future, Isabelle might be known in basketball circles as Alicia Tournebize’s mother but tonight Alicia, you have a mom who is a Hall of Famer,” said Ceal Barry, Fijalkowski’s coach at Colorado.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X @Lulukesin and Bluesky @bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina’s Alicia Tournebize celebrates mother’s hall of fame basketball career
