SEC Media Tap Gamecocks for 10th SEC Title

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Media across the SEC voted South Carolina women’s basketball to repeat as SEC Regular-Season Champions, the league office announced today. Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards earned a spot on the Preseason All-SEC First Team, and transfer guard Ta’Niya Latson picked up a spot on the second team.

Edwards was the Gamecocks’ top scorer last season at 12.7 points per game and third in rebounding at 5.0 per outing. Her consistent production in her first season yielded All-SEC First-Team and All-America honorable mention honors. Her 57.2 percent field goal shooting ranked second in the SEC, and she set the program’s record for free throw percentage by a freshman (.777). Edwards earned a spot on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament team behind her 11.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in the last weekend of the season.

Latson is making her South Carolina and SEC debut this season after last season’s top scorer in the nation (25.2 ppg) transferred from Florida State. She earned a spot on the 2025 All-America Second Team and was a three-time All-ACC First Team selection during her time in Tallahassee. Latson is a career 44.8 percent shooter with a career scoring average of 22.5 points after scoring in double figures in 86 of her 93 career games, including 62 20-point outings.

The Gamecocks won the last three SEC regular-season titles, sharing the crown last season with Texas. Head coach Dawn Staley returned seven letterwinners, including two starters from last season’s NCAA Runner-Up team, although the announcement of Chloe Kitts’ injury earlier today lowers those numbers. In addition to Edwards and Latson, South Carolina will be led by veteran point guard Raven Johnson, who is among the program’s top 10 in career assists. Junior guard Tessa Johnson will look to make another step up after her career-high 8.4 points per game last season, which included 43.0 percent accuracy from 3-point range. From the transfer portal, Staley also added senior center Madina Okot, who led the SEC in field goal percentage (.649) and ranked fourth in rebounding (9.6 rpg). A pair of top-15 freshmen bolster the Gamecocks’ backcourt with the signings of Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell – both McDonald’s All-Americans.

South Carolina unofficially opens the 2025-26 season with an exhibition against Anderson on Fri., Oct. 24. Admission to Colonial Life Arena is free with tipoff set for 7 p.m.

Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the program.

2025-26 SEC Media Preseason Poll

Order of Finish
1. South Carolina
2. Texas
3. LSU
4. Tennessee
5. Oklahoma
6. Ole Miss
7. Vanderbilt
8. Kentucky
9. Alabama
10. Mississippi State
11. Florida
12. Georgia
13. Missouri
14. Texas A&M
15. Auburn
16. Arkansas

Preseason Player of the Year
Madison Booker, Texas

Preseason First Team All-SEC
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt

Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
Rori Harmon, Texas