Dawn Staley Unshaken as South Carolina Loses Star Forward Chloe Kitts to ACL Tear
The South Carolina women’s basketball team has suffered a major blow ahead of the 2025-26 season — star forward Chloe Kitts will miss the year after tearing her ACL.
Despite the devastating news, head coach Dawn Staley remains confident in her system and her players.
“It’s not like we’re going to ask someone to be Chloe because that’s impossible,” Staley said during SEC Media Days on Oct. 14 in Birmingham, Alabama, just one day after Kitts announced her injury. “But we’re unafraid to go into the season without Chloe.”
The Gamecocks are now down to 10 healthy and active players, as they’re also without another standout forward — Ashlyn Watkins, who tore her ACL in January. Watkins announced in July she would take the entire year off from school and basketball to fully recover.
Even so, Staley’s confidence hasn’t wavered.
“We’re not going to skip a beat,” she said. “Our players know that anytime we sustain any kind of injury, we believe in the system that we put together. We believe in the players we’ve assembled.”
Throughout her career, Staley’s teams have proven resilient when faced with adversity, and she believes this group will be no different.
“We’ll figure out a way and make adjustments,” she said.
The veteran coach noted that the timing of Kitts’ injury — before the season began — provides a small silver lining. The Gamecocks will have time to adjust before their exhibition games on Oct. 24 and Oct. 30, and the season opener against Grand Canyon on Nov. 3 at Colonial Life Arena.
Without Kitts, Staley’s frontcourt rotation will feature four key players, led by sophomore Joyce Edwards, who joined her coach at SEC Media Days. Edwards, who led the team in scoring last season (12.7 PPG), is expected to step into a starting role. South Carolina also added 6-foot-6 transfer center Madina Okot from Mississippi State to bolster the post presence.
“Chloe is irreplaceable for what she brings so tangibly and intangibly,” Staley said. “All the players on our roster, with the exception of our two transfers and our freshmen, they know what it’s about. Joyce is going to probably take the brunt of it because she’s just got more playing experience under us.”
Staley also praised 6-4 forward Maryam Dauda, saying she’s playing “extremely well,” and noted that 6-5 center/forward Adhel Tac is “much improved.”
Joyce Edwards on Stepping Up After Kitts’ Injury
As one of the team’s most experienced returners, Edwards knows she’ll be asked to shoulder a bigger role — but she’s focused on collective effort, not individual pressure.
“It puts more pressure on the team,” Edwards said. “She contributes something that everybody will have to contribute individually. So as a team, you have to come together collectively and fill the gap that she normally fills. So, yeah, not to replace Chloe Kitts as a whole, but just little pieces for the whole team to contribute.”
Kitts was South Carolina’s top rebounder last season, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, and her presence on the boards will be sorely missed.
“Her effort on the boards can change the game drastically,” Edwards said. “I feel like I have to step up my rebounding to help this team.”
Even without two of their star forwards, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are determined to prove their depth, toughness, and championship mindset remain intact.
