COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley has come up short in her pursuit of another elite recruit, as Olivia Vukosa, the No. 3 overall prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to UConn on October 21.
The 6-foot-4 center from Christ the King High School in New York — the alma mater of UConn and WNBA legends Sue Bird and Tina Charles — chose the Huskies over a final list that included South Carolina, LSU, Texas, and Ohio State. Vukosa took her official visit to Storrs just six days before revealing her decision but, according to her social media posts, never made an official visit to Columbia, the only school among her finalists without a documented trip.
South Carolina and UConn have developed one of women’s basketball’s most intense modern rivalries. The Gamecocks defeated the Huskies for the 2022 national championship, but UConn returned the favor with two victories over South Carolina last season — one in the regular season and another in the 2024 title game.
While missing on Vukosa is a setback, Staley’s recruiting track record remains among the nation’s best. Her sole 2026 commitment to date is Kelsi Andrews, a 6-4 five-star center from IMG Academy in Florida. Andrews, ranked No. 18 overall and the No. 2 center in the class according to the 247Sports Composite, committed to the Gamecocks on October 7.
South Carolina could soon add more elite talent to the class. Jerzy Robinson, the No. 5-ranked recruit for 2026, is set to take her official visit to Columbia the weekend of October 25, her high school coach confirmed to The Greenville News.
The Gamecocks are also already benefiting from strong recent classes. The No. 6 player in 2025 (Agot Makeer) and No. 15 (Ayla McDowell) are both freshmen on this season’s roster.
Under Staley, South Carolina has been a recruiting powerhouse, landing the nation’s No. 1 or No. 2 recruiting class four times — including No. 2 in 2024, No. 1 in 2021 and 2019, and No. 2 in 2014. With the addition of Andrews, Staley has now signed at least one top-20 prospect every year since 2021.
Recent standout signees include:
- 2023: No. 13 MiLaysia Fulwiley (now at LSU), No. 17 Chloe Kitts, and No. 25 Tessa Johnson
- 2022: No. 12 Ashlyn Watkins and No. 18 Talaysia Cooper (now at Tennessee)
- 2021: No. 2 Raven Johnson, No. 3 Saniya Rivers (transferred to NC State), No. 4 Sania Feagin, and No. 14 Bree Hall
Staley’s success extends far beyond recruiting rankings. She has produced 18 WNBA draft picks, including 11 first-rounders and two No. 1 overall selections, underscoring her program’s consistency in developing elite talent.
While UConn won this latest recruiting battle, South Carolina remains firmly entrenched among the nation’s premier destinations for women’s basketball stars — and Staley’s pursuit of top talent shows no signs of slowing down.
