South Carolina assistant Khadijah Sessions drops 4-word reaction as Dallas Wings star goes off for new season high

South Carolina coach Khadijah Sessions guided the Gamecocks to the semifinals of the 3X3 Team USA nationals. Sessions joined the team's staff as Dawn Staley's assistant in 2023.

On Thursday, Sessions hyped her former teammate and current Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale for her stellar performance in her team's 97-92 loss to the Chicago Sky. Ogbunwale tallied 37 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes.

Sessions shared her four-word message on X.

"Trust your work, believe," Sessions tweeted.

Sessions and Ogunbowale were teammates on Team USA's 2019 AmericCup gold medal-wining squad in Puerto Rico.

How Arike Ogunbowale welcomed Khadijah Sessions into Team USA

In 2019, Khadijah Sessions was more of a trainer than a player and was a surprise call-up to the Team USA roster. She played alongside established stars like Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, and was coached by Dawn Staley for the AmeriCup tournament.

Despite being a two-time South Carolina captain, the last team Sessions played for was Kouvot in Finland in 2016. She was not selected in the 2016 WNBA draft and went overseas to start her professional career. However, she was without a team until the surprise call-up.

Staley revealed in an interview in 2020 that Sessions was called up to the pre-tournament team. She made the final 12-woman list after she impressed the selection committee following Jewell Lloyd's finger injury.

Sessions was the only player on the roster without a professional team but she was welcomed into the fold by Arike Ogunbowale, Sylvia Fowles and Brittney Sykes. Sessions talked about the close bond she shared with them.

“It’s weird how we all just gelled, like we all seem like we’ve been friends for years with our stories, and when we’re hanging out, just talking and learning each other,” Sessions said, via The State. “It just seems like we met for a reason.”

She added that they hung out together during the whole tournament in Puerto Rico and still have a group chat.

“Those three girls, they have a special place in my heart, you know. Everybody does," Sessions said. "So like if I reach out to one of those girls that was on the team, they reach back, they talk to me, vice versa. You know, we had a ball, we tried some authentic Puerto Rican food. They got me out of my comfort zone. So, just had a good time, they’re good people."

As evidenced by her celebration of Ogunbowale's excellent performance for the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sessions continues to celebrate the unique friendship that she formed during her surprise Team USA call-up.