With the college basketball season tipping off next week, “list season” is wrapping up — and South Carolina women’s basketball continues to dominate the headlines. National outlets have been rolling out preseason honors, award watch lists, and player rankings, with the Gamecocks earning consistent top-five recognition across the board.
That trend continued this week when ESPN released its list of the top 25 players in women’s college basketball, and two South Carolina stars earned major honors. Senior transfer Ta’Niya Latson and sophomore standout Joyce Edwards both landed inside the top 11, making USC one of just two programs — along with UConn — to place multiple players that high.
(South Carolina was previously ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s preseason team poll, though that came before Chloe Kitts’ injury was announced.)
Latson, ranked No. 7 overall, was listed as the fourth-best guard in the country, trailing only Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, and TCU’s Olivia Miles. The 5-foot-8 junior, who transferred from Florida State, led the nation in scoring last season with 25.4 points per game and was named an All-American.
ESPN’s Charlie Creme praised Latson’s impact, saying:
“South Carolina’s top scorer last season (Joyce Edwards) averaged 12.7 points. Latson nearly doubled that at Florida State as the nation’s leading scorer. Her decision to finish her career in Columbia almost certainly changes the Gamecocks’ offensive approach. Dawn Staley has a bona fide shotmaker in her backcourt who she can turn to for a bucket when one is needed.”
He also highlighted her development, noting,
“Latson improved significantly last season as a 3-point shooter (27.0% to 34.3%) and averaged a career-high 4.6 assists. That version of Latson should thrive even more with the talent surrounding her at South Carolina.”
Meanwhile, Joyce Edwards came in at No. 11 overall and ranked third among forwards — behind only UConn’s Sarah Strong and Texas’ Madison Booker. Edwards led the Gamecocks in scoring as a freshman, earning All-SEC and Freshman All-American honors. With injuries sidelining both Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, Edwards is expected to step into a larger starting role this season.
ESPN’s Michael Voepel wrote of her impact:
“An All-SEC first-team member as a freshman, Edwards led a balanced South Carolina attack in scoring last season, despite starting only one game. She shot 52.9% from the field and became an even bigger presence inside after a season-ending injury to Ashlyn Watkins in January.”
Voepel added that Edwards’ stellar play carried into the offseason:
“She was named to the all-tournament team at the Final Four after the Gamecocks’ championship loss to UConn. And in AmeriCup competition over the summer, she was the third-leading scorer (9.9 PPG) for Team USA.”
With Latson’s elite scoring and Edwards’ inside dominance, South Carolina enters the new season not just as a national contender — but as a team loaded with top-tier individual talent ready to chase another championship run.
With the college basketball season just around the corner, “list season” is wrapping up—and South Carolina women’s basketball continues to be a major talking point nationwide. National outlets have been rolling out preseason rankings and awards, and the Gamecocks remain firmly among the country’s top five teams.
That spotlight grew brighter this week as ESPN unveiled its list of the Top 25 players in women’s college basketball, and two Gamecocks earned elite recognition. Senior transfer Ta’Niya Latson and sophomore standout Joyce Edwards both landed inside the top 11, making USC one of just two schools—along with UConn—with multiple players ranked that high.
(South Carolina held ESPN’s No. 2 preseason team ranking prior to Chloe Kitts’ injury.)
Latson, ranked No. 7 overall, is the fourth-highest guard on the list, behind Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, and TCU’s Olivia Miles. The 5-foot-8 junior transfer from Florida State led the nation in scoring last season at 25.4 points per game and earned All-American honors.
ESPN’s Charlie Creme wrote:
“South Carolina’s top scorer last season (Joyce Edwards) averaged 12.7 points. Latson nearly doubled that at Florida State as the nation’s leading scorer. Her decision to finish her career in Columbia almost certainly changes the Gamecocks’ offensive approach. Dawn Staley has a bona fide shotmaker in her backcourt who she can turn to for a bucket when one is needed.”
He also noted that Latson’s improved 3-point shooting—from 27% to 34.3%—and her career-high 4.6 assists per game make her an even more dynamic threat.
Edwards, meanwhile, came in at No. 11 overall and third among forwards, trailing only UConn’s Sarah Strong and Texas’ Madison Booker. She led the Gamecocks in scoring last season as a freshman and was named both an All-SEC and Freshman All-American selection. With frontcourt injuries to Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, Edwards is poised to take on a larger starting role.
ESPN’s Michael Voepel praised her progression:
“An All-SEC first-team member as a freshman, Edwards led a balanced South Carolina attack in scoring last season despite starting only one game. She shot 52.9% from the field and became an even bigger presence inside after a season-ending injury to Ashlyn Watkins in January.”
He added:
“She was named to the all-tournament team at the Final Four after the Gamecocks’ championship loss to UConn, and in AmeriCup competition over the summer, she was the third-leading scorer (9.9 PPG) for Team USA.”
With Latson’s elite scoring and Edwards’ two-way dominance, South Carolina looks primed for another deep run — blending superstar talent with Dawn Staley’s championship mindset.
