Joyce Edwards Named Academic All-America
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball sophomore Joyce Edwards earned a spot on the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Second Team, the organization announced today. She becomes the fourth Gamecock to capture Academic All-America status and the first since Aliyah Boston was a three-time selection 2021-23.
To be eligible for CSC Academic All-America honors, an undergraduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, be at least a sophomore academically and athletically and compete in at least 90 percent or start at least 66 percent of the team’s games.
Edwards is part of the University of South Carolina’s prestigious Honors College and is an environmental science major with over a 3.7 GPA. She is one of just two sophomores honored across the three teams.
On the court, Edwards was on every All-America list released this season, making her just the third Gamecock to earn that status in each of her first two seasons (Aliyah Boston 2020, 2021; A’ja Wilson 2015, 2016). The forward put together an offensive season for the Gamecock record books as she broke the 48-year-old single-season scoring record with 768 points and tied the mark for 20-point games in a season with 22. Her 40 games started and 1,221 minutes also reset the program’s single-season marks.
Edwards’ 19.2 points per game led the Gamecocks and ranked fourth in the SEC, and her .571 field goal percentage ranked 20th in the nation. She ranked among the SEC’s top 15 in rebounds per game (6.8), offensive rebounds per game (2.9), steals per game (1.8) and blocks per game (1.1). Edwards was on the SEC All-Tournament Team behind 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in leading the Gamecocks to the title game. She was on the NCAA Sacramento Regional 4 All-Tournament Team as well.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the program.
2026 CSC Division I Academic All-America Teams
First Team
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Azzi Fudd, UConn
Olivia Miles, TCU
Sarah Strong, UConn
Second Team
Amaya Battle, Minnesota
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Avery Koenen, North Dakota State
Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Third Team
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Chance Gray, Ohio State
Jenna Guyer, Green Bay
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Grace Van Slooten, Michigan State
