The confetti settled in Phoenix with the Bruins cutting down the nets, but the work in Columbia barely paused. With Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, and Madina Okot headed to Monday’s WNBA Draft, Dawn Staley must now reshape the Gamecocks’ roster for another championship run. The early picture is actually encouraging — perhaps more than casual observers realize. Here is a player-by-player breakdown of who is expected back, and why each return matters.
Chloe Kitts — The All-American Returns
The most straightforward and impactful story on this list: Chloe Kitts is coming back. She has consistently confirmed as much throughout the season she spent watching from the sideline after tearing her ACL in practice in October. Kitts was an All-American last season, and her recovery from preseason knee surgery has progressed remarkably well. There’s no reason to think she won’t return to her All-American level next season and help take some of the pressure off of Edwards. On3
The significance of this return cannot be overstated. Kitts would have been a starter and one of South Carolina’s top scorers this season had injury not intervened. South Carolina returns All-American forwards Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts, giving the Gamecocks a two-headed All-American frontcourt combination that will be among the most powerful in the country. On3 She has started all but six of the last 75 games she has played for the Gamecocks and provides the interior scoring, rebounding, and toughness that championship contenders require.
Ashlyn Watkins — The Ghost Who Could Define Next Year
Of all the returning players, Ashlyn Watkins carries the most upside — and the most uncertainty. She made a deliberate choice to step entirely away from the game this past year. Dawn Staley addressed the situation directly: “I mean, Ashlyn took a year off. She will come back when that year is up. That’s sometime in May.” On3
Staley’s confidence is well-placed, and the basketball case for Watkins’ return is overwhelming. The super-athletic Watkins plays bigger than her 6-foot-3 frame and was the best rebounder and defender on the undefeated 2023-24 team — even better than SEC Defensive Player of the Year Kamilla Cardoso by some assessments. Bringing Watkins back is effectively the same as adding a transfer, and there may only be a handful of portal players better than her. On3
She has been seen around the South Carolina practice facility throughout the season — a positive signal that her connection to the program remains strong even while she has stepped back publicly.
Tessa Johnson — Quiet Confirmation
Tessa Johnson did not come out and say directly that she was returning, but the signals she sent in Phoenix spoke clearly enough. When asked about supplying leadership for next season, she left little ambiguity.
“I do expect our team to get here next year,” she said after the UCLA loss.
That framing is telling. Johnson led the SEC in three-point shooting this season, averaged 12.8 points per game, and flashed the ability to score in the midrange and drive the ball. Her defense was inconsistent at times, but she is a sure thing for next season. On3 Add to that the closeness of her friendship with Kitts — the two have been inseparable throughout their time in Columbia — and the picture of a player motivated to return alongside her best friend becomes impossible to dismiss.
Adhel Tac — The Heartbeat of the Program
Adhel Tac may not appear in many stat lines, but her value to South Carolina is of a different kind — and it is genuine. She missed the final 15 games of the season with a left foot injury, spending the postseason on a scooter and in a boot while remaining one of the loudest voices in every timeout huddle.
The biggest question for Tac is her health. Even if she can’t play, she has taken on a player-coach role, and her voice is respected within the locker room. On3 Her teammates have repeatedly identified her as one of the most important people in the building — not because of her production but because of who she is. Freshmen like Agot Makeer and Alicia Tournebize have both spoken about leaning on her guidance throughout the season.
She has more eligibility remaining and has given no indication she is going anywhere. The program’s wellbeing, and hers, both point toward a return.
Joyce Edwards — The Center of Everything
There is no ambiguity here. Edwards set South Carolina’s single-season scoring record this season at 19.5 points per game and was the obvious centerpiece of the offense. On3 When asked directly if she was returning, her answer was as clean as her post moves: “Yes.”
The more interesting storyline is what a full roster does for her development. This season, Edwards carried an enormous burden on a team that was perpetually shorthanded. With Kitts and Watkins back, flanked by freshmen Jerzy Robinson and Kelsi Andrews adding size and athleticism, Edwards will have the luxury of facing less physical double-teams — and the statistical leap that comes with elite teammates is real.
Maddy McDaniel — The Point Guard of the Future
McDaniel’s answer when asked directly about returning was equally straightforward: “Yes.” What that yes means for her personally is significant. McDaniel is Johnson’s heir at point guard. She can get to the rim and draw fouls, plays solid defense, and rarely turns the ball over. But she has never run the team full-time, and her three-point shooting needs improvement. On3
Next season, she will not be a backup. The program, and the moment, belong to her. ESPN’s Charlie Creme specifically noted McDaniel as a key piece of next year’s foundation, projecting her to assume the full-time point guard role On3 — a role she will need to grow into quickly given the talent headed her way from the freshman class.
Ayla McDowell — Growing Into the Next Role
McDowell was not directly asked about returning, but her comments carried clear intent. She spoke about next season as a player who would have that year of experience to offer the incoming freshmen — framing herself as a mentor rather than someone in transition. McDowell fell out of the rotation in SEC play and needs to get better defensively and at rebounding to hold a rotation spot on a championship-caliber team. On3 But she plays hard, can shoot, and will have the benefit of a loaded roster that removes the pressure of being asked to do too much.
Agot Makeer — From Injury-Riddled to Breakout Star
Makeer’s 2026 NCAA Tournament run was one of the most compelling stories of the entire postseason. After battling concussion protocol, a lower leg injury, and inconsistent usage throughout the regular season, she exploded when it mattered most — averaging 14 points per game off the bench through March Madness.
Her comments heading out of Phoenix pointed toward a return with purpose.
“Going into next season, we’ll have a new team and a new group, so we’ll have to all be on the same page,” Makeer said.
When asked directly if she would return, she didn’t confirm — but the framing of her answer assumed she would be there. Makeer is a 6-2 sophomore wing who was the team’s sixth man during the NCAA Tournament and showed star potential. The trajectory points sharply upward. On3
Alicia Tournebize — The 6-7 Wildcard
Tournebize arrived in January after not getting enough playing time with her club in France. She played 20 games for South Carolina and flashed the kind of potential — shot-blocking, size, touch around the rim — that makes evaluators very excited. She still has a lot to learn and has to get stronger, two things that aren’t surprising for an 18-year-old who joined midseason. But the potential is through the roof. On3
She was not directly asked about returning, but there is no logical reason to leave. She has barely scratched the surface of her development, the coaching staff is exceptional, and the 2026-27 roster around her could give her the best possible development environment of any program in the country.
The Freshmen — A Loaded Class Arriving
Rounding out the picture: three incoming freshmen who were ranked among the nation’s best in the 2026 class. Jerzy Robinson, South Carolina’s five-star guard commit ranked No. 3 nationally, will immediately challenge for a starring role after her record-setting performance at the Nike Hoop Summit. Kaeli Wynn is a versatile 6-foot-2 forward with exceptional basketball IQ. Kelsi Andrews brings elite size and modern post skills at 6-foot-3. All three are recovering from their own injury situations and will arrive with something to prove.
The Bigger Picture
ESPN’s Charlie Creme slotted South Carolina at No. 3 in his way-too-early 2026-27 rankings, writing: “If Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins return healthy, the Gamecocks could be staring at a seventh consecutive Final Four.” On3
That projection rests on a foundation that, based on every available signal, is largely intact. South Carolina is not rebuilding. It is reloading — with a group of hungry, experienced players who know exactly what it feels like to fall short, and who have every reason to believe next year is different.
