South Carolina women’s basketball is making a significant push to land one of the most coveted post players in the 2026 recruiting class, as five-star prospect Oliviyah Edwards is set to visit the Columbia campus this week.
According to a report from prominent women’s basketball personality Skim Milkey, South Carolina women’s basketball will host five-star post player Oliviyah Edwards for a visit, starting on Tuesday. Louisville and Washington are also involved. Edwards later seemed to confirm the report on social media.
The visit is part of a busy recruitment week for the Washington native, who has two high-profile stops lined up in quick succession:
“Oliviyah Edwards has a pair of visits set this week. She will head to South Carolina tomorrow and will take a visit to Louisville on Friday.” — Skim Milkey (@SkimMilkey) April 13, 2026
A Recruitment Reset After Tennessee Fallout
The timing of these visits carries significant context. Edwards was previously committed to Tennessee, but the Gamecock target recently backed out of her signed letter of intent to the Tennessee Lady Volunteers as part of the program’s mass exodus of current and future roster talent. The unraveling of her Tennessee commitment has reopened a recruitment that South Carolina fans will remember well — before her initial pledge to UT, South Carolina and LSU had seemed to be the other top options in her recruitment. That history gives the Gamecocks a meaningful head start in re-establishing a relationship that never fully went cold.
It is also worth noting that this will not be Edwards’ first time on campus. Edwards previously took both an official visit and an unofficial visit to South Carolina, meaning she already has familiarity and comfort with the program, the coaching staff, and the environment Dawn Staley has built in Columbia.
Why Edwards Fits What South Carolina Needs
The pursuit of Edwards is not merely opportunistic — it is strategically essential for the Gamecocks’ roster construction. USC has two graduating post players who will not be on the 2026-2027 roster, and two more will graduate the following year, creating an urgent and growing need in the frontcourt over the next two seasons.
The Gamecocks did sign fellow post player Kelsi Andrews in the class of 2026. However, Andrews and Edwards are different players. Plus, Andrews is currently rehabbing a knee injury, adding further urgency to securing dependable frontcourt depth. Edwards would not be redundant — she would be transformative.
The Player: Elite in Every Dimension
What makes this recruitment so compelling is the caliber of player South Carolina is chasing. Edwards is a phenomenal athlete with impressive length, allowing her to play bigger than her 6-foot-3 height. She throws down dunks with ease, and she is a strong rebounder and shot-blocker — a rare combination of explosiveness and physicality that translates immediately at the next level.
Crucially, her game is not one-dimensional. The Washington native’s game isn’t only built on her speed and bounce, however. She has been improving her jump shot, expanding her range to 15 feet and, at times, timely 3-pointers — a developing skill that significantly widens her offensive threat level and makes her extraordinarily difficult to guard in the modern game.
Her defensive versatility further elevates her profile. On defense, Edwards blocks shots but also moves well enough to guard multiple positions well — a quality that Dawn Staley’s system prizes highly, given how the Gamecocks consistently deploy versatile defenders across the frontcourt.
Elite Rankings Across the Board
The recruiting services unanimously agree on her ceiling. According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, Edwards is the No. 4 overall player in the class of 2026. She is also the No. 1 power forward in the cycle. Edwards ranks as the No. 1 player in her home state of Washington. Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN all rank her as a five-star recruit and a top-5 prospect in the class — a consensus that underscores just how significant landing her would be for whichever program wins this race.
With Louisville also in the mix and a Friday visit to the Cardinals on the schedule, South Carolina will need to make a powerful impression when Edwards arrives on Tuesday. Given the program’s championship pedigree, Dawn Staley’s recruiting track record, and Edwards’ own prior familiarity with the campus, the Gamecocks appear well positioned — but nothing is guaranteed in a recruitment this competitive.
