Joyce Edwards hasn’t even suited up for the South Carolina Gamecocks but, however she already is aware of what she needs to attain on the subsequent stage. The Camden (SC) Excessive College star—and the No. 2-ranked participant within the class of 2024—is a flexible, 6-2 ahead who can knock down photographs, end on the rim, block photographs on the defensive finish and put up large time numbers. Within the state championship sport, she had a monster double-double of 27 factors and 20 rebounds, in addition to 6 blocks, to assist lead the Bulldogs to their second consecutive 3-A state title.

However for Edwards, that is only the start. 

“After I go to South Carolina, my important purpose is to only get on the ground, be a defensive participant—as a result of you possibly can’t get on the ground with out protection—after which sculpting my offense to be what the crew wants,” she says. “I’m not coming in trying to be, like, the star participant and none of that. I’m simply making an attempt to come back in and do what the crew wants and match into my position.” 

She’s set to affix a program that’s synonymous with profitable. By the point we go to press, South Carolina has simply posted back-to-back undefeated common seasons, gained its second SEC Event championship in a row, and is gearing up for March Insanity because the No. 1 seed. It’s that status—in addition to the legacy of Daybreak Staley, now in her sixteenth season since taking on this system in ’08—that led Edwards to decide to the Gamecocks within the first place. After narrowing down her high three faculties to SC, LSU and Clemson, Edwards was considering signing later within the signing interval, and it was Daybreak who she felt really revered her resolution.

“The way in which Daybreak responded was utterly totally different from everyone else. She was like, OK, why do you are feeling this fashion? I really feel prefer it was actually simply the teaching. What Daybreak mentioned simply hit me just a little bit totally different than each different coach.” 

Over time, Daybreak has molded future WNBA legends, from the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Yr Aliyah Boston to A’ja Wilson, a two-time WNBA champion and the 2023 Finals MVP, whom Edwards had an opportunity to satisfy when South Carolina beat Maryland this previous November. Wilson even gave her some recommendation.

“[She] was speaking about how when she got here into South Carolina, they usually had her beginning,” Edwards remembers of their dialog, “and she or he got here out the subsequent sport and did no matter she needed to do. I really feel like her transition from being extra of a task participant at SC to her having to be that extra dominant participant within the paint and take them to the nationwide championship. Simply the entire course of and her mentality all through and the development she had via that, that’s one of many largest issues that I took away from it.” 

Edwards sees similarities of their video games, too, and says her dad typically compares her to Wilson. “Clearly, she’s left-handed, however she has the middy within the bag. She will drive, she will face up, she posts up. All these issues that she does—clearly, I’m not doing it [at] as excessive a stage as her—however I’m doing lots of comparable issues at my age.” 

As she wraps up her senior yr at Camden—Edwards additionally performs soccer, which she says has helped along with her conditioning and footwork on the court docket—she’s already trying ahead to the alternatives that await simply 40 minutes away in Columbia. 

“I really feel like for some gamers, it might undoubtedly be intimidating,” she says. “However then I simply do not forget that I play my greatest after I’m going in opposition to and taking part in with nice gamers in follow and stuff like that. I really feel like at South Carolina, with the competitors I’ll be taking part in in opposition to in follow, like, these are WNBA legends. These persons are about to go to the League and do nice issues. Going up in opposition to them in follow will simply make me higher, and hopefully after I present up in a sport, I believe I’ll be actually ready.”  

Deyscha Smith is an Affiliate Editor at SLAM. Observe her on Instagram and X, @deyschasmith.

Portraits by Kai McNeil. Observe him on Instagram, @thekaimac.