Jordan Lee Adjusting Well at South Carolina, With Staley Pushing Her to Shoot More
Texas transfer Jordan Lee has made the switch from burnt orange to garnet and black, joining South Carolina after two seasons with the Longhorns. The 6-foot guard, who arrived on campus in June, is expected to make an immediate impact for the Gamecocks this season.
Adjusting to a New Program
Lee described her transition to Columbia positively, emphasizing a learning mindset: “It’s been great. I’m just trying to be a sponge and learn, just watch everybody. There’s a lot of new people, so just taking the time to mesh and get to know each other.”
A Strong Track Record at Texas
Lee’s production improved significantly during her sophomore season with the Longhorns, averaging a career-high 13.2 points on 42.2% shooting, while also seeing increases across rebounds (2.5), assists (2.5), steals (1.5), and blocks (0.5) compared to her All-SEC Freshman campaign the year prior. She entered the transfer portal ranked as ESPN’s No. 2 transfer prospect. Staley praised her overall demeanor and readiness: “Jordan is doing great… She’s seasoned, right? She is really, really low maintenance, high performing. I like to describe people like that.”
Her Role and Usage at Texas
Lee played all 40 games as a freshman, averaging 19.6 minutes per game, before head coach Vic Schaefer expanded her role significantly last season — she started 38 of 39 games and averaged 31.7 minutes per contest. Her shot attempts jumped from 5.1 to 11.8 field goal attempts per game, the second-most on the entire Texas roster.
Staley Wants More Aggression
Interestingly, Staley indicated Lee’s shooting frequency has actually decreased somewhat as she adjusts to South Carolina’s system, and the coaching staff wants to change that: “For us, we probably want her to shoot the ball a little bit more. I think she’s just trying to acclimate and get used to everything, but we don’t really want to take [away] what you naturally do. We don’t want this to be, you know, overthinking things. Take the shots, take them. Put the ball up. Just get comfortable with that.”
A Well-Rounded Fit for South Carolina’s Rotation
Staley outlined a comprehensive role for Lee that extends well beyond scoring, including ball-handling and playmaking development: “She wants to work on putting the ball on the floor and playmaking, we’re putting her in a position to do that. But really [a] great addition. She’s gonna defend. She’s gonna hit big shots for us. She’s gonna play-make for us. Speed-wise, I think she gives us an element of speed that we lost in someone like a Raven. So I’m looking forward to having her. I’m glad she chose us.” That last reference points to replacing some of the speed South Carolina lost with Raven Johnson’s departure to the WNBA.
One Adjustment Still in Progress
While Lee has embraced nearly every part of her transition to South Carolina, one thing has genuinely caught her off guard — the weather. A California native who spent two years in Austin, Texas, Lee joked about the humidity: “Besides the heat, it’s been truly amazing. The humidity is way, way unexpected.”
With her scoring ability, defensive versatility, and added speed, Lee projects as a key contributor in Staley’s rotation this season — whether or not she cracks the starting five — giving South Carolina another proven, battle-tested guard as it chases a return to the national championship.
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