Why South Carolina star Joyce Edwards is unlikely to repeat March Madness slump
Dawn Staley says South Carolina women's basketball star Joyce Edwards is different than when she slumped as a freshman in March Madness
COLUMBIA — Bree Hall got just one season with Joyce Edwards but it was enough to know that the 6-foot-3 forward would greatly benefit South Carolina women's basketball in the future. After UConn's dominant 82-59 national championship win over South Carolina last April, Hall, then a senior, was asked what she learned about Edwards, who had just finished her first Women's NCAA Tournament as a freshman. "She's an incredible player," Hall said.
"She's going to come back for more, it's not over for her at all. " Now nearing 12 months later, Edwards is leading the No. 1 seeded Gamecocks (31-3) heading into her second NCAA Tournament.
The sophomore leads South Carolina with 19. 6 points per game heading into the first round on March 21 (1 p. m.
ET, ABC), against the winner of either Samford or Southern , both No. 16 seeds. Joyce Edwards struggled in 2025 March Madness South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has seen Edwards lead the team in scoring since her arrival on campus, breaking out as a freshman with an average of 12.