For the second year in a row, South Carolina got a major spring surprise. Oliviyah Edwards, who is ranked second overall by ESPN and fifth overall by Rivals/On3, committed to the Gamecocks. What does her addition mean for the Gamecocks?

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Every summer, people (especially Gamecock fans) rue the end of the South Carolina dynasty because the Gamecocks haven’t signed anyone yet, complaining that Dawn Staley has forgotten how to recruit. And every year, the Gamecocks finish with a top-five class.

In the 2025 cycle, South Carolina only had one player signed, Ayla McDowell, until Agot Makeer joined the nest in the spring. Makeer vaulted the class into the top five, and she looks like a program cornerstone.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball! 🏀

South Carolina’s class was ranked fourth before Edwards committed, and already had another program cornerstone in guard Jerzy Robinson. Now, South Carolina could have a second program cornerstone and the top-ranked class. Not too shabby.

Staley has quipped that South Carolina won’t overpay for recruits because “they’re cheaper the next time around.” She was referring to transfers, but it applies to Edwards, too, and South Carolina makes sure it doesn’t burn bridges.

Edwards even said, “Sometimes it takes twice to get it right,” when she announced her commitment on social media.

In the fall, Edwards scheduled visits with Tennessee, LSU, and South Carolina. Reportedly, Tennessee gave her a signing bonus to commit on her visit to Knoxville and cancel the trips to LSU and South Carolina. 

When the bottom fell out at Tennesse, and the assistant coaches who recruited Edwards left for other jobs, Edwards asked for her release. She also considered Louisville, Texas, and Washington this time around, but it was the program that had always been there, South Carolina, that won out.

All about fit

To be fair, Edwards was a great fit for Kim Caldwell’s system at Tennessee: an incredible athlete who can run the floor, shoot threes, and play strong in the paint.

But Tennessee also would have leaned into Edwards’ worst tendencies. I’ve watched Edwards in person and was blown away by her athleticism and raw skill. I was also disappointed by her tendency to play between the three-point lines.

With a coaching staff that will coach her hard, Edwards could definitely be the best player in the class. But if she is allowed to coast, or resists coaching, she could be just another average player (think Zee Spearman or Janiah Barker)

🏀 GamecocksW newsletter: WBB coverage delivered straight to your inbox!

How does she fit?

Whether it is on purpose or just the state of basketball, South Carolina has increasingly leaned into positionless basketball. Edwards fits that trend. 

Edwards can play the four or five, and would probably argue that she can play the wing as well. She joins Chloe Kitts (three or four), Agot Makeer (one through four), Jerzy Robinson (one through three), Joyce Edwards (three through five), and Alicia Tourneize (all of them?) as players who can play multiple positions in a pinch. 

It will be tough for Staley and the coaching staff to figure out how to best utilize everyone, but just about every other coaching staff would kill to have that problem. 

Is South Carolina done?

With Edwards joining Jordan Lee as spring additions, South Carolina is probably done adding players. Assuming Ashlyn Watkins rejoins the team as expected, South Carolina will have 14 players on next season’s roster.

Technically, the Gamecocks could add another player, and ideally they would have added a point guard. But they already have more players than can actually play. Plus, with more players looking to enroll midseason, they need to keep a spot open.