The fate of Oliviyah has been decided. And the decision is a delightful one for Dawn Staley and South Carolina Gamecocks.
A consensus top-three ranked recruit in the class of 2026, Oliviyah Edwards, a 6-foot-3 forward from Washington state, had committed to Tennessee before decommitting earlier this month. That re-opened the recruitment of the McDonald’s All-American, who originally chose Tennessee over Washington, Florida, USC, LSU and South Carolina.
The second time around, Edwards settled on South
Carolina, signing with the Gamecocks over Texas.
Edwards announced her decision on her Instagram with the caption, “Sometimes it takes twice to get it right.”
On her decision, she subsequently told ESPN:
I chose South Carolina because it felt like home.
Coach Staley, the staff and the team showed me a level of love and belief that stood out. I know I’ll be pushed every single day, and being surrounded by that kind of energy and support means everything to me.
Edwards’ commitment caps off an excellent offseason in Columbia, where South Carolina is poised to follow up a 2025-26 season that ended in a second-straight blowout loss in the national championship game by entering the 2026-27 with a stacked roster that should make them title favorites.
Edwards’ decision follows that of Jordan Lee, potentially the most consequential mover in the transfer portal. The do-it-all guard exited Austin for Columbia, where she and Tessa Johnson will form one of the best perimeter duos in the nation.
Edwards’ fit with the Gamecocks is less intuitive than Lee’s, although the talent of an Edwards-Edwards tandem, with Oliviyah’s partnership with Joyce, who is coming off an All-America sophomore season, causing all kinds of trouble for opponents due to their combined athleticism, versatility and skill.
On top of the Edwardses, South Carolina is welcoming back Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, both of whom missed the 2025-26 season with injuries. And, then there’s Alicia Tournebize, the 6-foot-7 midseason addition who, despite some rough freshman moments, oozes with intrigue.
Figuring out that frontcourt rotation is a first-world challenge that Staley surely will welcome.
Edwards’ suite of skills seem certain to thrive at South Carolina.
Foremost, her athleticism will be deployed on the defensive end, where her elite length and quickness will amplify, and be amplified by, the Gamecocks’ aggressive system. She can then inject even more juice into the Gamecocks’ defense-to-offense transition attack. South Carolina FAMs can expect Edwards, who participated in the McDonald’s All American dunk contest, to electrify Colonial Life Arena with a slam. In the offensive halfcourt, Edwards’ ceiling and, in turn, South Carolina’s, likely rides on her continuing to develop her 3-point shot.
Edwards also is not the only highly-touted freshman who is headed to Columbia, as three more top-30 recruits in Jerzy Robinson, Kaeli Wynn and Kelsi Andrews are set to suit up in Garnet and Black.
A seventh-straight Final Four, at minimum, seems all but guaranteed for the Gamecocks.
