Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks had a great run last season. They made it to the National Championship game, where they suffered a blowout, 51-79 loss against the UCLA Bruins. That was only their third loss since November 2025.
At the end of every season, teams are affected by the transfer portal as many players leave to find better opportunities elsewhere. It’s rare when a team doesn’t lose any talent to the portal, and Staley’s Gamecocks did that this year.
The South Carolina head coach was able to retain all her players from last season’s roster, except for the players who graduated and moved to the WNBA. Recently, South Carolina Athletic Director Jeremiah Donati talked about Staley’s roster for the 2026-27 season.
As per Lulu Kesin, Donati said that colleagues from all over the country have reached out about Staley’s “super team.”
“Yeah, geez, it’s hard to imagine the portal season going for any coach better than it did for Coach Staley. I mean, I had colleagues from all over the country reaching out to me saying, ‘Wow, that’s a super team.’ Now, Dawn would tell you they’ve got to get here, they’ve got to grow and assimilate into the program, but really excited.”
“I mean, not having any kids transfer out of the program in this day and age is almost unheard of, so just really, really proud of her and the team’s efforts to keep it rolling,” Donati said.
In addition to retaining the core of the Gamecocks’ roster, Staley has also signed some great players through the transfer portal. Oliviyah Edwards was one of the biggest names in the transfer portal this year, and she chose South Carolina a few days ago.
“I chose South Carolina because it felt like home,” Edwards told ESPN. “Coach Staley, the staff, and the team showed me a level of love and belief that stood out.”
Staley said that Edwards has a “deep toolbox and elite intangibles.” She believes the five-star forward will contribute on both ends and help the Gamecocks dominate next season.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks Roster for 2026-27 Season
Here’s what the South Carolina women’s basketball roster for the 2026-27 season looks like.
- Tessa Johnson – senior guard
- Chloe Kitts – senior forward
- Ashlyn Watkins – senior forward
- Maddy McDaniel – junior point guard
- Joyce Edwards – junior forward
- Adhel Tac – junior forward
- Jordan Lee – junior guard
- Agot Makeer – sophomore guard
- Ayla McDowell – sophomore guard
- Alicia Tournebize – sophomore post
- Jerzy Robinson – freshman guard
- Kelsi Andrews – freshman forward
- Kaeli Wynn – freshman forward
- Oliviyah Edwards – freshman forward
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