The South Carolina Gamecocks, powered by standouts Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards, came up short in their quest for back-to-back national titles, falling to the UConn Huskies in the 2025 national championship. Despite the heartbreak, the Gamecocks are heading into the 2025-26 season with most of their core roster intact.
Just weeks after that championship loss, Kitts, Edwards, Tessa Johnson, and Maddy McDaniel suited up for USA Basketball’s 2025 3X3 Nationals. Guiding them from the sidelines was South Carolina assistant coach Khadijah Sessions, who took on the play-calling duties for the group during the tournament.
Once the 3X3 action wrapped up, Sessions took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a touching message about her time coaching the team:
“Miss them so much. I had a ball,” she posted on Wednesday.
Gamecocks Make Their 3X3 Debut
While Kitts, Johnson, and McDaniel have previously represented Team USA in traditional 5-on-5 formats at various youth levels, this was their first foray into 3X3 basketball. Only Joyce Edwards had prior experience in the fast-paced half-court version of the game.
The group made a strong impression early, going 3-0 in pool play, which earned praise from Sessions in her postgame comments.
“I think they played pretty well yesterday,” Sessions said on Tuesday. “We need to clean up a few things on offense—create more mismatches for Joyce and (McDaniel)—but overall, I think they played well together for their first time in 3X3. It was really fun.”
Despite a strong showing, including a quarterfinal victory over the Oklahoma Sooners, the Gamecocks’ run ended in the semifinals, where they fell to Team Chaos—a squad led by former South Carolina phenom MiLaysia Fulwiley, who made headlines in April by transferring to the LSU Tigers.
Still, the experience was a meaningful one for Sessions, who expressed her joy at coaching such a talented group.
“It feels good, man,” she said. “I get to coach McDonald’s All-Americans. I get to coach great human beings. Just blessed to be here with these girls and just having fun. I just want them to have fun and go out there and play as hard as they can.”
Looking ahead, Kitts, Johnson, McDaniel, and Edwards are expected to lead the charge as the Gamecocks reload and set their sights on reclaiming the national championship in 2026.
