Chloe Kitts Brings Vital Mid-Range Scoring Back to South Carolina / sportsearchers.com

South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts is approaching the one-year anniversary of tearing her ACL, and she’s officially back on the court as the Gamecocks began practice on September 21, ahead of their outdoor exhibition against College of Charleston on September 27.

A Career Year Interrupted

Kitts, a 6-foot-2 forward, had a breakout junior season in 2024-25, averaging 10.2 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds for Dawn Staley. That momentum was halted in October 2025, when she tore her ACL on a rebound during practice, sidelining her for the entire 2025-26 season. Now a fifth-year player, she described her return simply: “I feel great. Blessed to be back out here with my team.”

No Brace Necessary

Notably, Kitts practiced without a knee brace, clarifying it’s entirely optional at this point in her recovery. She looked fully healthy during drills, running at full speed on both ends of the floor without falling behind teammates: “It’s more of a comfort thing (the brace) but all my numbers look good.”

Filling a Real Offensive Gap

Even without Kitts last season, South Carolina still reached its third straight national championship game, but her return addresses a specific offensive need — mid-range shooting. In 2024-25, Kitts shot 36.5% from mid-range, well above the Division I average of roughly 33.3%. By contrast, last season’s leading scorer, Joyce Edwards, averaged 19.2 points per game but shot just 30.4% from mid-range. Kitts’ return gives South Carolina a genuine mid-range threat that can space the floor, ease pressure on Edwards near the rim, and open up more effective high-low actions in the post — reducing the risk of opposing teams clogging the paint with double-teams.

Staley’s Praise

Staley highlighted the value of experienced leadership in the post now that Kitts is back: “It’s great. You have experienced posts that understand what we’re trying to accomplish. I mean, everybody knows Chloe works her butt off.”

Anchoring a Young Frontcourt

Kitts now becomes the elder statesman of a notably youthful frontcourt group. She’s joined by fifth-year Ashlyn Watkins, also returning after missing last season, junior Joyce Edwards, and three less-experienced pieces — freshmen along with Alicia Tournebize, who played just 20 games last season, and Adhel Tac, who dealt with injury limitations. Kitts spoke positively about the group’s chemistry and development: “They’re all sponges, they want to do good and be great. They’re actually really good communicators, they learn extremely fast and we love being around each other.”

A Career Full Circle

Kitts arrived at South Carolina midway through the 2022-23 season after graduating high school early, joining a team that fell in the 2023 Final Four to Iowa before getting revenge the following year with a national championship win over the Hawkeyes. Now she’s chasing another title in what could be her final college season, with real WNBA draft stock attached to a strong final year — especially given South Carolina has fallen short in the last two championship games. Kitts summarized the team’s singular focus heading into the season: “We’re trying to win. Every day we come in here, we work as hard as we can and we all have one goal.”