PHOENIX — With a focused and composed expression and her trademark two puff buns, Joyce Edwards carried a small black radio on her shoulders while unwrapping a Rice Krispie treat with her other hand. She led the South Carolina women’s basketball team from the locker room, down a hallway and onto the floor for practice at Mortgage Matchup Arena on Thursday.
The polished concrete reflected the rhythm of her white sneakers, each step catching the glow of the overhead lights as she moved beneath exposed ceiling pipes, past cinder block walls painted in blue and neutral tones, and through the heavy double doors at the end of the corridor.
Edwards stepped through them bold, focused and confident. The doors represented was more than just a physical threshold, it was the kind that separates who you were from who you’ve become. After all, ‘Edwards’ is a women’s basketball luxury brand now, the kind built on detail, discipline, and presence.
It was only appropriate that Edwards was in front because she’s been the Gamecocks’ leading lady all season, averaging a team best 19.7 points per game, good for 21st nationally. Shooting 58.2% from the field, which is 18th nationally, Edwards’ growth has allowed her to transform into a force of nature and help the Gamecocks return to the Final Four for the sixth straight season.
“I tell Joyce every day that she’s elite,” South Carolina guard Raven Johnson told reporters during the Final Four media press conference. “Her ability to play make, to defend, she takes this team to another — she takes us here. Honestly. She can do everything. She can rebound. She’s also a leader, uses her voice a lot. She talks to me. She’s smart on and off the court. I think her intelligence when it comes to the game of basketball is really amazing. She sees plays before it even happens.”
Winners of the Sacramento 4 region, South Carolina meets reigning national champion Connecticut on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Edwards and the Gamecocks are excited about the challenge of playing a UConn squad making its 25th Final Four appearance and riding a 54-game winning streak. UCLA meets Texas in the nightcap at 9:30 p.m.
Edwards scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench during the Gamecocks’ 82-59 loss last season to the Huskies in the national championship.
“This is top four teams in the country and being here you get to play against great talent,” Edwards said to The IX Basketball in the locker room as a black and white composition notebook, headphones, and her phone rested on her lap. “I’m just honored to be here. I’m just trying to win this year. I feel like just confidence is better. It’s really a mindset, and I’m a little bit more comfortable. Obviously, I have a year under my belt, so I’m just going out there and playing basketball. I feel like I’m playing a little bit more free with that.”
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The numbers and accolades have provided all the evidence of Edwards’ evolution this season, as she developed into a master craftsman with a sharp eye for detail. Per Her Hoops Stats, Edwards’ effective field goal percentage is 58.2%, up from 52.9% last season. And while her usage rate of 28.3% is slightly better than last year’s 28.0%, her points per possession have increased from 0.99 to 1.05 year over year.
Another major difference in her development this season is how parts of her personality have shined throughout the season. During a regular season game against Coppin State in January, Edwards was the first player on the floor, and while she was focused on the game, she still found time to dance, laugh and soak in the experience of playing a rare road game at an HBCU.
“You’ve seen it more,” Edwards said of her playfulness on the court. “You’re paying attention to me more this year. Plus, we had a lot more players last year, but I get it from my parents. Even this team, we’re really goofy, like Raven, Tessa, Maryam, like, we’re all really goofy. So, it just comes from a bit of my parents and then the team making me feel comfortable and being who I am.”
Edwards has come a long way from the “shy and quiet” girl some of her teammates remembered. They also recognized her competitiveness, too. Initially quiet, Edwards’ competitive spirit eventually stood out, even during her early days in basketball. Over time, she has grown both as a person and a player, learning to balance her frank honesty with effective leadership.
“She’s such a blunt person, so she’s learning how to be a leader without being too blunt,” South Carolina senior guard Ta’Niya Latson said to the media. “She’s going to keep it real regardless. What comes up, comes out. So that’s just how she is. She knows how to read a room. I met her when we played AAU basketball. She was in eighth grade and I think I was in ninth grade. … She cared a lot about basketball. And even to this day, she’s really competitive. She tries her best to be number one in everything. Her mentality, shows on the court too. She’s definitely grown.”
Edwards’ leadership has manifested itself beyond the court. As the Gamecocks were recruiting freshman Agot Makeer, Edwards left an impression.
“She’s always been super nice and super welcoming,” Makeer recalled of the recruiting visit during an interview with The IX Basketball. “She always talked about how, like, I could help this program. Even this year, she’s helped me a lot and I feel I can relate to her because she’s more my age as a sophomore, so she’s been through it, recently. Getting to know her has been really fun.”
Gamecock fans have been saying the same thing watching Edwards perform this season, and there are numerous reasons for that. Edwards has seen increased playing time, become more of an offensive focal point, and earned veteran head coach Dawn Staley’s trust as she consistently delivers performances that elevate the team.
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Like an artist working on their masterpiece, Edwards is applying the final flourishes to an offensive season for the ages. She is rewriting the Gamecock record books, tying the program record with 22 20-point games this season. Her 749 points this season are just five off Katrina Anderson’s 1977-78 record (754).
She is also among the SEC’s top 15 in rebounds per game (6.7), offensive rebounds per game (2.8), steals per game (1.8) and blocks per game (1.1).
They’re running out of All-America teams for Edwards, who was recently named to the Wooden and WBCA teams. Edwards was on the SEC All-Tournament Team and earned a place on the Sacramento Regional 4 All-Tournament Team. She’s averaged 20.5 points per game during South Carolina’s tournament run, scoring at least 20 points in three of the four games.
An environmental science major and part of the University of South Carolina’s Honors College, Edwards also shines in the classroom. She was selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, a perfect accolade to go with being named a unanimous Second-Team All-American, a First-Team All-SEC selection and a finalist for the Katrina McClain Award, which recognizes the top power forward in the country.
But Edwards says she would gladly trade all of those honors for a pair of victories this weekend. Even though South Carolina lost twice to UConn last season, veteran Huskies coach Geno Auriemma understands those games are meaningless and gives his squad zero edge.
“Obviously, this is a different South Carolina team than the one we played last year,” Auriemma told reporters. “Our two wins against them last year don’t really mean anything going into tomorrow. The way that game was played has no bearing on tomorrow. They have added some really key pieces. I think they’re a much better team than they were last year. Really hard to prepare for. They’ve shot the ball exceptionally well this year. They’ve added the size that is hard to match up with. Defensively we have our challenges with them.”
Edwards’ ability to finish around the rim and impact the game on both ends of the floor will contribute significantly to those challenges. The Huskies will have to pay attention to Edwards in the post, which could free up driving lanes for Johnson or provide extra shooting space for junior guard Tessa Johnson.
“I feel like just this whole season, she is growing each game,” Tessa Johnson observed in a locker room interview with The IX Basketball. “Yes, she’s been just dominant in scoring, but she’s also rebounding. She’s also being able to play-make and being able to do a lot of things that just helps the team.”
