South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley broke down her newest signees, Kaeli Wynn and Kelsi Andrews, on Thursday — including the viral commitment video that had fans buzzing.
Wynn, a 6-foot-2 forward, is rated No. 22 by Rivals, No. 17 by ESPN, and No. 38 by 24/7 Sports. The Mater Dei (Los Angeles) standout comes from a deeply rooted basketball family.
Her mother, Jody Wynn, played at USC alongside Lisa Leslie and later coached at Long Beach State, Washington, and now Mater Dei. Wynn’s sister, Jada, has played at Colorado and Texas Tech and will suit up this season for UC Irvine, where their father Derek serves as an assistant coach.
Wynn traveled to Columbia for an official visit in September, then returned in late October with fellow five-star recruit Jerzy Robinson. After choosing between South Carolina and Stanford, she made her commitment public on November 10 and signed two days later on the opening day of the early signing period.
But behind the scenes, Staley admitted Wynn’s decision had her completely thrown off.
“I mean, we’ve been waiting on Kaeli for over two months, right? That’s one,” Staley said. “Two, the night before, when you’re in this whole recruiting thing… The night before, she was like, ‘Can we talk tomorrow?’ And I swear, I don’t like those ‘Can we talk tomorrow?’ (texts) because they don’t feel good. And it didn’t feel good. So, I’m like, ‘Can we talk tonight? Tell me tonight.’ And she was like, ‘No, we’re at a fundraiser with my team, so, I’ll call you tomorrow.’ And then, I put on our coaches thread, ‘She’s going to Stanford, y’all.’ I felt the energy in the text message. For real, I was really surprised. Like, I did not think she was coming. She just surprised me. And she went through (creative media producer) Jhalen (Wingate), which was pretty cool because I don’t even know how she got Jhalen’s number — probably to get the pictures after her official visit. But I did not (expect that). She surprised me on that one.”
Staley also pointed out that while she and Wynn’s parents share the coaching profession, she didn’t know them personally before recruiting began — but she welcomes the “coach’s kid” mentality.
“I didn’t; people on our staff knew her,” Staley said. “Very great coach. So, I’m sure she’s going to add some stuff to the things that we want to do. She’s got really a good 1-3-1 zone that we’re going to pick her brain on.”
After Wynn officially signed, Staley released a statement praising her new forward:
“Coming from a basketball family, Kaeli’s IQ and appreciation for the game’s intricacies add another level to her physical skill set. She has an unbelievable will to win, but her ability to involve everyone on the team and ensure buy-in to the team goals are what separates her from her peers. She is a perfect fit for our program.”
While Wynn’s recruitment was full of suspense, Kelsi Andrews’ path to Columbia was much more straightforward.
South Carolina identified Andrews early — even back in middle school — and she remained a clear Gamecock favorite. She announced her commitment on October 7 and signed on November 12.
The 6-foot-4 forward/post is ranked No. 18 by HoopGurlz and No. 30 by Rivals/On3. Her versatility makes her especially valuable, as she can dominate inside or step out and knock down perimeter shots.
“I mean, big-skill big. She can shoot it,” Staley said. “She’s very efficient in the paint. Good basketball mind. Comes from a great basketball AAU program; Raven (Johnson) and Ta’Niya Latson, they all came from the same program. So, you know we’re getting a really good player that’s used to playing great competition and used to winning.”
Staley also issued a statement highlighting Andrews’ potential impact:
“Kelsi brings a unique combination of size, skill and versatility that perfectly fit how we want to play. Her basketball IQ, defensive presence and resilience make her a special addition to our Gamecock family. And, with her ability to score inside, stretch the floor with her 3-point shot and impact the game on both ends of the court, she has the potential to continue our legacy of elite frontcourt players.”
