South Carolina adding UNC's Gray, extending Staley's deal

Published Jun. 19, 2015 3:13 p.m. ET

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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The women's basketball team at South Carolina added North Carolina transfer Allisha Gray and gave coach Dawn Staley a two-year contract extension.

Gray signed a scholarship agreement with the Gamecocks, the school said Friday. The Tar Heels' leading scorer and all-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team player will have two years of eligibility remaining after she sits out this season under transfer rules.

The 6-foot wing averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds, helping the Tar Heels reach the NCAA round of 16 before losing to the Gamecocks.

''Her hard work and intensity on both ends of the floor will be a great addition to our team as we continue to compete for championships,'' Staley said in a statement.

Gray will be the third transfer addition from the ACC for South Carolina, which also will add Virginia's Sarah Imobvioh and Georgia Tech's Kaela Davis.

The school also said its board of trustees approved an extension with a $200,000 raise for Staley through the 2020-21 season. After guiding her team to its first Final Four, Staley will have a guaranteed salary of $1.1 million for the upcoming season.

The school has extended a $25,000 annual pay increase through the two additional years of the extension. It also restructured the buyout format with ''significant increases'' if Staley opts out of the contract, including more than doubling the original buyout figure for the next three years.

''I believe that not only her on-the-court successes have made her great, but her efforts in the community and on campus have made her the leader she is today,'' South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner said in a statement.