Chloe Kitts’ father, Jason, posted a celebratory picture of the family after the South Carolina forward won the SEC Tournament MVP award on Sunday. The Gamecocks defeated Texas 64-45 in the conference championship game, lifting its third consecutive title.
Kitts led the defending champions with 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor. Her Most Valuable Player honor puts her with program names like A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Kiki Herbert Harrigan and others.
Jason Kitts uploaded a picture on X, with the junior forward showcasing her latest achievement:
“So many emotions!” he wrote.
https://x.com/kitts_jason/status/1898872353456611600
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It was Chloe Kitts’ fifth back-to-back double-digit outing and 19th such performance of the season.
She opened the SEC tournament with her season-high 25 points and 10 rebounds on an 85.7% clip, helping South Carolina defeat Vanderbilt 84-63 in the quarterfinal. The junior then followed with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists against Oklahoma in the semi-finals.
Jason Kitts also shared his sentiments after watching her daughter lift the conference and MVP hardware in a court-side interview.
“In our household, we want pressure,” he said. “We are here for a reason, we know that this program will grow you as a person.
“Basketball is pretty easy in our household but when you come here around coach Staley, around the culture that she has in place – that’s where the kids really develop and mature to be growing women when they leave here and that’s really the most important part.”
Chloe Kitts’ MVP numbers are the third-best in South Carolina history
Chloe Kitts averaged 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 74.6% shooting throughout the SEC Tournament. She surpasses five of South Carolina’s conference MVPs with her numbers – Aleighsa Welch (2015), MiLaysia Fulwiley (2024), Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (2020), Tiffany Mitchell (2016) and Aliyah Boston’s 2023 stretch.
A’ja Wilson’s back-to-back MVP outings and Boston’s 2021 conference run are the only performances generating better numbers than Kitts’.
Wilson dropped 19.6 points and eight rebounds in 2017 and 20.3 points along with 10.3 rebounds the next year. Boston averaged 19.6 points and 11.3 rebounds in the 2021 SEC championship.
