With the commitment of top-ranked recruit Oliviyah Edwards, South Carolina becomes the 2026-27 championship favorites

Oliviyah Edwards. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The fate of Oliviyah has been decided. And the decision is a delightful one for Dawn Staley and South Carolina Gamecocks.

A consensus top-three ranked recruit in the class of 2026, Oliviyah Edwards, a 6-foot-3 forward from Washington state, had committed to Tennessee before decommitting earlier this month. That re-opened the recruitment of the McDonald’s All-American, who originally chose Tennessee over Washington, Florida, USC, LSU and South Carolina.

The second time around, Edwards settled on South Carolina, signing with the Gamecocks over Texas.

Edwards announced her decision on her Instagram with the caption, “Sometimes it takes twice to get it right.”

On her decision, she subsequently told ESPN:

I chose South Carolina because it felt like home.

Coach Staley, the staff and the team showed me a level of love and belief that stood out. I know I’ll be pushed every single day, and being surrounded by that kind of energy and support means everything to me.

Edwards’ commitment caps off an excellent offseason in Columbia, where South Carolina is poised to follow up a 2025-26 season that ended in a second-straight blowout loss in the national championship game by entering the 2026-27 with a stacked roster that should make them title favorites.

Edwards’ decision follows that of Jordan Lee, potentially the most consequential mover in the transfer portal. The do-it-all guard exited Austin for Columbia, where she and Tessa Johnson will form one of the best perimeter duos in the nation.

Edwards’ fit with the Gamecocks is less intuitive than Lee’s, although the talent of an Edwards-Edwards tandem, with Oliviyah’s partnership with Joyce, who is coming off an All-America sophomore season, causing all kinds of trouble for opponents due to their combined athleticism, versatility and skill.