Why Joyce Edwards Is Going to Thrive Alongside Madina Okot at South Carolina
The idea first sparked while watching the AmeriCup Tournament and grew stronger during a replay of the SEC Tournament final on South Carolina Day on the SEC Network: Joyce Edwards is going to love playing with Madina Okot.
Last season, South Carolina’s only real vulnerability was the absence of a dominant post presence. That missing piece showed up in their February loss to Texas, and even in their wins, the Gamecocks had to improvise to deal with physical post players like Kyla Oldacre and Taylor Jones.
Edwards held her own. She dropped 11 points in the SEC Championship and averaged 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds across four matchups against Texas, including a double-double in the Final Four. But those stats were slightly below her season averages of 13.7 points and 5.0 rebounds. (For comparison, Chloe Kitts put up 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds against Texas, close to her season averages of 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds.)
This summer, Edwards showcased her versatility on the international stage with Team USA at the FIBA AmeriCup in Chile. She started all seven games, typically opening at center before sliding to forward during stretches when Raegan Beers or Audi Crooks took over the paint.
That’s when Edwards truly thrived.
With Beers or Crooks occupying defenders inside, Edwards found freedom in the high post. She had more room to drive, facilitate, and score. Team USA head coach Kara Lawson noticed too—she started Edwards and Beers together in the gold medal game for the first time in the tournament.
Edwards came alive during Team USA’s critical fourth-quarter surge. She ran the floor in transition, finished easy layups, forced turnovers, and made key hustle plays. Her seven points during that stretch were crucial to the Americans’ come-from-behind win.
None of it was surprising. Edwards, Kitts, and Sania Feagin operated best last season from the high post, executing unstoppable pick-and-rolls. (Edwards nailed one in the SEC Tournament replay, and Kitts famously notched a triple-double by repeatedly running that set with Feagin.)
And they did all that without a true low-post threat.
Enter Madina Okot.
The addition of Okot promises to change the entire offensive dynamic. Her presence on the block will command attention from opposing defenses, giving Edwards more room to create from the high post. If defenders sag off Okot, Edwards and Kitts—both strong passers—won’t hesitate to feed her for easy buckets inside.
That’s the vision moving into the new season: a more balanced, multidimensional offense with Okot anchoring the paint and freeing up South Carolina’s skilled forwards to go to work.
And based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s safe to say: Joyce Edwards is going to love Madina Okot.
