Since its glorious inception in the year of our Lord nineteen ninety-seven, the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball program has enriched through talent and guts, continuing to dominate women's basketball today. Under the leadership of Dawn Staley, the coach of monumental fame, the Gamecocks have walked the road of glory with hardly a few others beside them; some of the girls were famous luminaries in the collegiate rankings and have moved into prominent positions.
Impact Players
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Raven Johnson (Point Guard)
Continuing her junior year, she has evidenced her tremendous development starting thirty-five out of thirty-seven games last season, where she averaged at 8.1 PPG, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, strong on passing abilities that have improved with passing percentage upturning from twenty-four point one to thirty-five this year.
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Te-Hina Paopao (Shooting Guard)
Paopoa's returning for the final year was an important factor for the Gamecocks. Paopoa shot forty-six point eight percent (46.8%) from the three-point area, averaging eleven point zero points, two point five rebounds, and three point seven assists per game this season. Her leadership and court vision were a blessing for the Gamecocks.
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MiLaysia Fulwiley (Guard)
Fulwiley had an eye-catching debut as SEC Sixth Woman of the Year. She averaged 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest, being named SEC Tournament MVP after 24 with an eye-popping exhibition against LSU in the title match.
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Joyce Edwards (Forward)
Edwards joined the Gamecocks as a five-star recruit and quickly became a standout player, leading the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game and earning All-SEC First Team and All-Freshman Team honors. Her high school accolades include being named the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year and Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year.
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Chloe Kitts (Forward)
Now in her junior season, Kitts has been a force on the court, leading the team with 7.6 rebounds and adding 9.4 points per game while further enhancing her strength and productivity, including a fine 21-point, 11-rebound game against Duke.
Achievements & Recognition of the Team
The Gamecocks: in-season roaring and awash with accolades, more than a dozen were mentioned in the All-America honorable mention. Junior Chloe Kitts and freshman Joyce Edwards were noted by both USBWA and AP, while Senior Te-Hina Paopao and sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley were honored by the AP.
In addition to the preceding five players, more than any other team in the conference, were named to the 2025 All-SEC women's basketball awards. Fulwiley won SEC Sixth Woman of the Year, while Edwards was named to All-SEC First Team and All-Freshman Team.
Future Plans
Deeply and still pursuing the national title with utmost potential and skill in the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks clearly are a huge strength. With a mixture of great leaders and emerging stars, South Carolina has set quite a standard in women's college basketball.
Fans are eagerly counting down the days to the rest of the games, confident that the Gamecocks will serve up more thrilling performances to uphold their legacy of success.
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