When Tessa Johnson asked teammate Joyce Edwards what fans could expect from her this season during a “Tea Time with Tessa” segment, Edwards gave a deadpan reply:
“To be present,” she said. “To be at the games.”
Her response, as dry as it sounded, was clearly part of her act. Those who’ve seen her stoic reaction to Maddy McDaniel’s jump-scare attempt in another video know that Edwards’ calm exterior is simply who she is — measured, composed, and unbothered.
Edwards has long drawn comparisons to A’ja Wilson — and not just because both are South Carolina legends. Before she ever wore garnet and black, Edwards was compared to the Gamecock great for her dominance, accolades, and decision to stay home. Like Wilson, she came off the bench as a freshman, earned first-team All-SEC honors, and helped lead South Carolina to a Final Four appearance. (In fact, Edwards went one step further than Wilson in her freshman season.)
Still, those comparisons can only go so far. Personality-wise, they’re worlds apart. Wilson’s charisma commands every room she enters, while Edwards is more reserved. She’s poised and articulate in interviews but prefers to let her game speak for her.
And while they share a position, their playing styles differ. Wilson may be one of the greatest players ever — a nearly impossible bar for anyone to meet — but that doesn’t stop Dawn Staley from pushing Edwards to reach that level.
At SEC Tipoff, Staley made her message clear. When the conversation turned to Wilson, she pointed at Edwards.
“Joyce,” she said, “we need Joyce (to be like Wilson).”
There’s a reason for that. In her sophomore year, Wilson took a massive leap — winning her first of three SEC Player of the Year awards and leading South Carolina to an undefeated conference season and a top NCAA Tournament seed.
Staley hopes Edwards can take a similar step. But her approach is different. Where she once pushed Wilson with constant criticism, she now builds Edwards up with encouragement. Staley even gave her star forward a private goal for the season.
“She’s just got high standards,” Staley said. “Joyce is a star. She carries herself that way, she practices that way, and she expects nothing but to have the type of performances (at) the standard that she practices. I’m going to challenge her.”
Those challenges come with big expectations. Edwards enters the season as a preseason first-team All-SEC pick, a second-team All-American, and a top-15 player nationally per ESPN. She’s also on the Katrina McClain Award watch list.
Much like Wilson had Tiffany Mitchell beside her, Edwards will share the court with elite scorer Ta’Niya Latson — another preseason All-American. But with Chloe Kitts out for the season due to a torn ACL, Edwards will shoulder more responsibility in the frontcourt.
“I want to put a little bit of pressure on that she’s got to dominate,” Staley said. “Yeah, she does have to dominate because she’s capable of dominating. That’s our expectation for her.”
Edwards experienced a few learning moments last season, particularly in games when opponents double-teamed her. She admitted it was frustrating to see her mistakes on film and know what defenses were doing — but not react fast enough in real time.
When Texas didn’t double her in the Final Four, Edwards made them pay: 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists — nearly a triple-double. She added 10 points and five boards against UConn and earned All-Tournament honors.
Determined to grow, Edwards spent the offseason improving her range and ball-handling by competing in 3×3 tournaments.
“3×3, you really just focus on the speed of the game,” Edwards explained. “You have a 12-second shot clock. You don’t have time to think. All your instincts just kick in. It really shows you who is a dog and who’s not. You can’t hide.”
Her preseason results show that work paying off. She drained two threes and finished with 26 points and eight rebounds against Anderson, then followed up with 12 points and nine rebounds against North Carolina — letting Latson and Raven Johnson take over when they were hot.
“I just did what the game gave me and had fun with it,” Edwards said with a shrug.
She’s not one for big reactions, but her growth is obvious. Last season, she grabbed nine or more rebounds just five times. In exhibition play this year, she averaged 8.5 boards and doubled her assists from 1.2 to 2.5 per game — subtle but meaningful progress.
Dawn Staley summed it up best:
“Every team doesn’t have a Joyce Edwards,” she said. “We’ve got Joyce Edwards.”
