Dawn Staley and South Carolina just pulled off one of the biggest wins of the NCAA women's basketball offseason, successfully recruiting five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards — the Class of 2026's No. 3 overall prospect.
Dawn Staley Details Re-Recruiting Oliviyah Edwards
Edwards originally committed to Tennessee last August, signing her National Letter of Intent with the Lady Vols in November.
But a coaching staff shakeup alongside a wave of roster departures in Knoxville changed her path. Edwards subsequently requested a release from her commitment in April.
South Carolina moved quickly once Edwards reopened her recruitment. She visited Columbia in mid-April alongside Texas transfer Jordan Lee. Staley praised her staff and players for making the visit count.
"I just felt like our coaches, our administrators, our players did a really great job when she came on her visit," Staley told The State.
Staley also acknowledged that the Gamecocks were already on Edwards's radar before she signed with Tennessee.
"We were on her list," Staley added. "She was talking to a few of us. She was supposed to come visit us before she committed to Tennessee."
However, when former Lady Vols assistant Gabe Lazo left to coach UCF, the 6-foot-3 forward decided to reconsider her choice of schools.
She ultimately committed to South Carolina on April 27th, sharing on social media that "sometimes it takes twice to get it right."
How Oliviyah Edwards Fits Into South Carolina Women's Basketball
The Tacoma, Washington native brings both athleticism and dunking ability to the South Carolina women's basketball court.
Staley praised her elite skill set and competitive nature when discussing the Gamecocks' acquisition. She'll need both to earn minutes in South Carolina's deep starting lineup.
Edwards joins a recruiting class ranked No. 2 nationally by ESPN.
She will share the Gamecocks' frontcourt with senior Chloe Kitts, who is returning after missing the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL, and junior Joyce Edwards. After falling to UCLA in last year's NCAA women's championship game, Staley's side enters this next season as early title contenders.
The 2026/27 NCAA women's basketball season tips off in early November.
Upshot League is bringing professional women's basketball team back to Charlotte for the first time since its WNBA team departed in 2006, as the Charlotte Crown fell to the Jacksonville Waves in Thursday's sold-out home opener.
Debuting this month, the new development league serves as a stepping stone for players aspiring to reach the WNBA. Former UNC star Deja Kelly led the home opener with 17 points and five assists, while Reigan Richardson added 17 points and three rebounds.
Three-time First-Team All-ACC selection Kelly headlines the Crown lineup. She's joined by second-overall 2019 WNBA Draft pick Asia Durr and NCAA champion with South Carolina LeLe Grissett. 2021 McDonald’s All-American and Charlotte native Reigan Richardson arrives after a successful college career at Georgia and Duke.
Former WNBA star Trisha Stafford-Odom helms the team, backed by years spent playing with both the Houston Comets and Miami Sol before moving on to coach at the NCAA level.
Dating to the league's 1997 inception, the original Charlotte WNBA team — the Sting — folded in 2006. The Sting went on to draft future South Carolina coach Dawn Staley in the first round of the 1999 WNBA Draft, but never won a league title despite several deep postseason runs.
The Crown aims to meet growing professional women's basketball demand while building a new legacy in North Carolina.
South Carolina women's basketball is building toward the future, as this year’s No. 6 high school recruit Jerzy Robinson officially signed with the Gamecocks this week.
The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 27 points and 10.2 rebounds in her junior season at LA's Sierra Canyon High School. Robinson is now finishing her senior year, subsequently becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer after just three years on the team.
"Jerzy is an all-level scorer who can shoot it from outside, get to her spots and be physical in the paint," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said in a team statement. "Beyond that, she has a winning mentality that she brings to every possession and every matchup she faces. Her competitive spirit and confidence will elevate our program."
"I chose South Carolina because I had a sense of peace when it came down to the decision for me," Robinson told ESPN last December. "When I visited South Carolina, I was already home. I was already valued there... I felt like this was where I needed to be for the next four years."
South Carolina Launches Rebuild with Jerzy Robinson Signing
Having fallen short of two straight NCAA title games, the Gamecocks are turning to both recruiting and the transfer portal after losing Raven Johnson and Madina Okot to the WNBA.
South Carolina recently hosted ex-Tennessee commit Oliviyah Edwards on an official visit after the No. 3 prospect re-opened her recruiting, while also eyeing prospective Texas transfer Jordan Lee.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and UConn coach Geno Auriemma put their heated Final Four confrontation behind them Tuesday, as both NCAA coaches released statements calling for the women's basketball community to move forward.
"I spoke with Geno, and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he's meant to this game," Staley wrote. "One moment doesn't define a career, and it doesn't change the impact he's had on growing women's basketball."
Auriemma echoed the sentiment in his second formal apology, acknowledging he "lost" himself during Friday's semifinal.
"This morning, Dawn Staley and I spoke," Auriemma wrote. "I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team. I've lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself."
The conflict erupted in the final seconds of South Carolina's 62-48 victory over previously undefeated UConn. Auriemma approached Staley for a postgame handshake before angrily confronting her. The exchange escalated until officials and staff stepped in.
After criticizing the referees during the broadcast, Auriemma initially showed no regret in his postgame news conference. He later released his first apology the following day.
Dawn Staley vs. Geno Auriemma Final Four Rivalry Returns Next Season
The South Carolina-UConn rivalry resumes on November 24th, when the programs meet at the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun Arena.
"Coach Auriemma and Coach Staley have not only built championship programs but have also helped elevate women's basketball to new heights," said Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame CEO and President John L. Doleva.
"Having two Hall of Famers leading their teams in this marquee matchup perfectly represents our mission to honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future of basketball."
For the second consecutive year, South Carolina found itself on the losing end of an NCAA final blowout, falling 79-51 to UCLA on Sunday to mark the third-largest margin of victory in women's title game history.
The Gamecocks shot just 29% from the field and became the first team to lose back-to-back championship games by more than 15 points. The 28-point defeat came one year after UConn handed South Carolina a 23-point loss in the 2025 final.
"To get here is hard, to win here is harder, right?" head coach Dawn Staley said postgame. "Obviously we got smacked today. We got to figure out how we smack back."
NCAA Championship Loss Caps Rocky South Carolina Semifinal
The South Carolina loss capped an emotional weekend for Staley. The lauded coach dealt with fallout from Friday's heated exchange with UConn coach Geno Auriemma following the team's semifinal victory. In the incident, Auriemma approached Staley for a postgame handshake, then angrily confronted her face-to-face before staff separated them.
"I'm of integrity," Staley said following the altercation. "If I did something wrong to Geno, I had no idea what I did."
Auriemma issued a statement on Saturday, writing that he had no excuse for how he handled the game's end. However, Staley told ESPN she hadn't heard directly from the Hall of Fame coach despite reports he reached out.
"The story should be how well South Carolina played, and I don't want my actions to detract from that," Auriemma wrote in his formal apology.
Staley spent much of Sunday's postgame praising UCLA coach Cori Close, who captured her first NCAA title in her 15th season. The two shared a long pregame hug that stood in stark contrast to the Auriemma dust-up.
"I'm always happy for people that worked hard in this game, who are really quality people," Staley said of Close.
Reaching six consecutive Final Fours demonstrates South Carolina's sustained excellence, but Staley and her staff face the challenge of breaking through if they want to claim another NCAA championship title.
South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley announced Saturday that three of her former players remain in Israel following the US-Israel military strikes against Iran, while the Gamecocks work to bring the players home safely.
Staley wrote on social media that Tiffany Mitchell, Mikiah Herbert Harrigan, and Destiny Littleton are "in a war zone in Israel," stating that the women's basketball program is developing an evacuation plan.
"We are working a plan to get home," Staley posted to X. "Let us pray for our loved ones to return home safely asap."
Littleton posted videos from Jerusalem to her social media accounts, with sirens blaring in the background as she explained her situation. The former South Carolina star said she packed up and headed to a shelter.
"I'm just trying to stay calm," Littleton said. "I really don't want to even be out here on the streets."
Littleton later told ESPN that she's current safe despite the military strikes on Iran. "I am doing all right — shaken up but blessed to be safe," she said. "There are current options being looked at."
Littleton played at Texas, South Carolina, and USC from 2017 to 2023.
Mitchell played for South Carolina from 2012 to 2016, featuring in the team's first Final Four run in 2015. The former Seattle Storm guard spent 10 seasons in the WNBA after getting drafted No. 9 overall in 2016.
Herbert Harrigan helped lead the Gamecocks to their first NCAA championship as a freshman in 2017, with the Phoenix Mercury subsequently drafting her No. 6 overall in 2020.
A spokesperson for South Carolina athletics provided no additional information regarding the Iran situation.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley celebrated a milestone over the weekend, earning her 500th career win leading the No. 3 Gamecocks as they took down the No. 7 LSU Tigers 79-72 in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson held court with 21 points, while the Tigers' struggles at the line saw star guard Flau'jae Johnson — who otherwise led LSU with 21 points of her own — miss two free throws in the final minute as South Carolina pulled away.
"At the end, we got lucky," Staley said postgame. "Flau'jae doesn't miss free throws — we actually got a bucket after that and it's those kind of plays that are determining the game."
The victory marked the Gamecocks' 18th straight win over LSU — with South Carolina holding strong as the only SEC team still unbeaten by LSU head coach Kim Mulkey.
"It was two of the best teams in our conference, in the country, just trying to get a win," Staley summarized.
South Carolina now boasts a multi-game lead in the SEC basketball standings, putting Staley's squad in the driver's seat as they aim for a fifth regular-season title with four matchups left.
How to watch South Carolina, LSU basketball this week
SEC basketball action returns on Thursday with No. 3 South Carolina facing No. 25 Alabama at 8:30 PM ET on SECN before No. 7 LSU tips off against No. 17 Ole Miss at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN.
South Carolina vs Texas A&M ended in a routing, as the Gamecocks overcame a shorthanded roster and motivated Aggies squad to secure a 71-56 victory on Monday.
Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards delivered a dominant performance in the SEC showdown, scoring 28 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Edwards was particularly clutch in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of her points in the final period.
Junior guard Tessa Johnson provided support with 19 points, tying her career-high with five made three-pointers. Johnson caught fire early, sinking her first four attempts from beyond the arc and finishing 5-of-11 from range.
The Gamecocks built a 16-point lead late in the third quarter, before Texas A&M responded with a 7-0 run. That's when senior Aggies guard Ny'ceara Pryor hit a buzzer-beating three to cut South Carolina's advantage to 55-47.
Texas A&M pulled within four points early in the final period. But Edwards quickly shifted the narrative, scoring eight points on a 9-0 run to push South Carolina's lead to 67-53 with under two minutes remaining. The breakout performance subsequently sealed the results for South Carolina vs Texas A&M.
"The team that's able to grab it at any given moment can win basketball games," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said postgame.
"They had it at the end of the third quarter, and we tried to figure out how to do that. I think we had more probably defensive momentum after we stopped fouling in the fourth quarter and then we were able to score."
The victory improved surging South Carolina to a 22-2 overall record and 8-1 in SEC play. They've also held tight to their No. 3 AP Poll ranking, despite missing starters Ta'Niya Latson and Agot Makeer to lower-leg injuries.
How to watch South Carolina women's basketball this week
South Carolina hosts unranked Mississippi State on Thursday at 6:30 PM ET, live on ESPN.
The Gamecocks' next ranked matchup comes on Sunday, tipping off against skidding No. 19 Tennessee at 3 PM ET, live on ESPN.
One of the two remaining undefeated Division I basketball teams could steal the SEC spotlight on Sunday, when No. 5 Vanderbilt takes on a No. 2 South Carolina team reeling from Thursday night's loss — just the second of the Gamecocks' 2025/26 NCAA season.
South Carolina fell 94-82 in overtime to No. 16 Oklahoma, with freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez putting up a game-leading 26 points to fuel the Sooners' upset victory.
"We ran into a team that actually wanted to win more, and they made winning plays, and we didn't," Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley said afterwards.
South Carolina won't have much time to reflect, however, as they prepare to take on a surging Vanderbilt with more than just strong conference records on the line.
Sophomore Mikayla Blakes leads the Commodores with 25.0 points per game, with the standout guard sitting second-overall in DI scoring as Vanderbilt continues their best start in team history.
"I'm having to remind myself that this makes us 20-0 and that's a great thing, right?" Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said after her squad's 81-53 win over Auburn on Thursday. "The other thing is that I like being in this place where I'm pissed off after a win because we didn't play well today, especially in the first half. I like it because it says that I know how good this team can be."
How to watch Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina this weekend
Barring any additional meteorological disruptions this weekend, the No. 2 Gamecocks will host the unbeaten No. 5 Commodores at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ESPN.
Thursday night's NCAA basketball action spotlights a tense SEC rematch, as No. 2 South Carolina hosts No. 4 Texas in conference play following the pair's nonconference Players Era Championship matchup in November.
The Longhorns just edged the Gamecocks 66-64 in the Las Vegas competition's title game, but the tide has since shifted, with South Carolina now riding a 10-game winning streak into Thursday's matchup while No. 6 LSU served Texas a season-first loss last Sunday.
"I'm really disappointed in the league for putting us in that position, but we play whoever is in front of us," Longhorns head coach Vic Schaefer said of his team's grueling road trip. "It's one monster after another."
The pair's sole 2025/26 conference matchup could end up determining the SEC basketball regular-season title — South Carolina and Texas split their two 2024/25 SEC clashes to tie for last season's honor before the Gamecocks ousted the Longhorns from both the conference tournament and the Final Four.
While injuries have impacted both sides, South Carolina anticipates a roster boost from 6-foot-7 French international Alicia Tournebize, who recently joined the Gamecocks after playing pro ball in Europe.
"She looked good," South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said of her team's midseason addition. "She'll play, she'll definitely play."
How to watch Texas vs. South Carolina on Thursday
The No. 4 Longhorns will tip off against the No. 2 Gamecocks in Columbia at 7 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.