Takeaways From South Carolina’s Exhibition: Ball Handling, Edwards’ Scoring, and a Freshman Lesson / sportsearchers.com

South Carolina’s outdoor exhibition offered an early glimpse at how Dawn Staley plans to run her offense, with several notable storylines emerging despite the modest stakes.

Who Handled the Ball

As expected, Tessa Johnson, Agot Makeer, and Brooke Quarles-Daniels brought the ball up most of the time, with Staley keeping two of the three on the floor for much of the game — though with six players sitting out, her options were limited. Makeer and Johnson meshed particularly well, setting each other up several times, including back-to-back baskets in the second quarter when South Carolina took control of the game.

Joyce Edwards as Primary Initiator

Joyce Edwards frequently ran the offense from the top of the key, either creating for herself or forcing the defense to rotate and help, opening opportunities for teammates. Chloe Kitts did not play Sunday but is expected to fill a similar role once available — she’s described as an even better passer than Edwards and comfortable as a distributor.

Assist Numbers Down From Last Season

One area to monitor: South Carolina recorded just 12 assists on 33 made baskets, a notable decline from last season’s average of 18.0 assists on 32.5 baskets per game.

Oliviyah Edwards’ Early Lesson

The third-ranked recruit in the country, freshman Oliviyah Edwards, was the first player off the bench but had a brief start — after checking in, she jogged back on defense and allowed a basket, prompting Staley to immediately pull her from the game. To her credit, Edwards responded well, playing with noticeably more effort the rest of the way and displaying elite athleticism, rebounding, defense, and rim-running ability — the traits that made her such a coveted prospect.

Joyce Edwards Dominates

Anyone worried Joyce Edwards may have lost her scoring touch over the summer can rest easy — she finished with 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. The performance suggests she’ll carry an even bigger offensive load than last season, when she set South Carolina’s single-season scoring record. Edwards embraced the growing role: “It’s crazy because I feel like I was a freshman just yesterday. That leadership role, I feel like it’s an important step for me to take in my career.”