South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley may have just watched three players get drafted in the first 20 picks of the 2026 WNBA Draft, but don’t mistake roster turnover for vulnerability. Based on recent activity, the Gamecocks appear to be methodically reloading — and two high-profile visits suggest Staley is hunting for exactly the pieces she needs.
On the evening of April 14, video obtained by ABC Columbia’s Noah Chast showed Staley alongside two coveted prospects — transfer guard Jordan Lee and five-star recruit Oliviyah Edwards — at a South Carolina baseball game. The casual setting belied the high stakes of the recruitment. Both players represent significant additions that could reshape the Gamecocks’ ceiling next season.
The Case for Jordan Lee: Familiarity Cuts Both Ways
Lee is no stranger to Staley or her staff. The 6-foot guard from California played for Texas, a program that crossed paths with South Carolina seven times over the last two seasons — and Lee was consistently a thorn in the Gamecocks’ side.
She averaged 8.7 points specifically against South Carolina, and her most damaging performance came when it mattered most. In the SEC title game, Lee dropped 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and one block, shooting a scorching 55.6% from the field while knocking down two three-pointers against Staley’s defense.
That résumé cuts both ways. Staley watched Lee dismantle her team on a big stage. Now she wants that problem on her sideline. Lee averaged 13.2 points per game for the Longhorns this season — on a team that beat South Carolina twice before falling to UCLA in the Final Four. The No. 9 recruit in the 2024 class brings experience, toughness and a proven ability to perform under pressure.
After two seasons in Austin, she is looking for a new home. South Carolina just made a compelling case.
The Case for Oliviyah Edwards: Generational Upside
If Lee represents proven production, Edwards represents something rarer — raw, electric upside in a 6-foot-3 frame that can dunk.
Edwards was Tennessee’s highest-ranked signee in seven years before she decommitted on April 7, part of the seismic upheaval surrounding coach Kim Caldwell’s program, where all eight returners entered the transfer portal. That kind of program-wide exodus freed one of the most coveted prospects in the country back onto the market.
South Carolina was already on Edwards’ radar before she originally committed to Tennessee on September 13. She canceled an initial visit in the fall, but Staley clearly never stopped pursuing her. Getting her back on campus — and spotted courtside at a baseball game with the coaching staff — signals serious mutual interest.
A five-star forward who can space the floor and finish above the rim would give South Carolina a dimension they haven’t had in recent years. Edwards isn’t just a recruiting win; she could be a program-altering piece.
The Bigger Picture: Staley Isn’t Rebuilding, She’s Restocking
To understand the urgency of this recruitment window, consider what South Carolina just lost. Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot were all taken in the first 20 picks of the WNBA Draft. Senior Maryam Dauda also departed. The Gamecocks, as of April 14, have zero players currently in or from the transfer portal — a striking position with the portal closing April 20.
Staley will bring in three freshmen: forwards Kaeli Wynn and Kelsi Andrews, and guard Jerzy Robinson. That’s a promising foundation, but the caliber of player she’s targeting in the portal suggests she has no intention of going through a transitional season.
There is also the quiet pursuit of Kymora Johnson, a 5-foot-7 guard who averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds at Virginia this season. Johnson, who has never averaged below 15.2 points in a college season, entered the portal after UVA fired coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. A source confirmed she visited South Carolina in the first week the portal opened, though the source did not wish to be identified.
If Staley lands Johnson alongside Lee and Edwards, she won’t just have replaced what she lost — she’ll have upgraded it.
The transfer portal closes April 20. Staley is working fast, working smart, and working the relationships she’s spent years building. The Gamecocks may look different next season. They might also be better.
