Why Dawn Staley's roster moves could make South Carolina No. 1 to start season

COLUMBIA — Dawn Staley's roster for South Carolina women's basketball in 2026-27 impressed not only her boss, but people without ties to the Gamecocks as well. “It’s hard to imagine the portal season going for any coach better than it did for Coach Staley," South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati said April 27. "I had colleagues from all over the country reaching out to me saying, ‘Wow, that’s a super team.

'" Staley brought in four Class of 2026 recruits all ranked in the top 30. She also added the No. 2 player in the portal in Jordan Lee , a 6-foot guard from Texas, and was the only SEC women's coach who didn't lose anyone to the portal.

The most recent addition to the 2026-27 team was five-star, 6-foot-3 forward Oliviyah Edwards , the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2026 class. “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. South Carolina has been to six straight Final Fours, three straight national championship games and has 10 straight SEC regular-season titles. So when it comes to preseason predictions, the Gamecocks have been near the top for a while.