Joyce Edwards has scored 88 points in three games.
The South Carolina women’s basketball forward scored a career-high 29 points on Dec. 14, only to surpass it with 34 in a 103-44 win at USF on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Florida. She went 14-of-15 from the floor, and had five rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
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It marked the sophomore’s first time scoring 30-plus points for South Carolina, and the first player since A’ja Wilson (2017-18) to score 25 or more in three consecutive games.
“Joyce is a competitor and Joyce wants to score a lot of points, she’s very capable of doing that that,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “Joyce isn’t just a scorer, she’s a really great playmaker, she can make the play that’s suppose to be made … we’re challenging her to open up that part of her game.”
Edwards entered the game averaging a team-high 20.3 points per game, a season after she led South Carolina with 12.7. She’s now scored over 20 points in seven different games for the No. 3 Gamecocks (11-1) this season.
“All about doing what the game gives you,” Edwards told ESPN after the game. “At the end of the day, I’m a basketball player, I’ve been playing for a while so I just got out there and play basketball.”
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Staley is having to depend on her starters for scoring more than in the past. The bench scored just 15 points against USF (6-6). Edwards is averaging 30.2 minutes per game and is dishing 3.1 assists, up from 1.2 last season.
Starting guards Tessa Johnson, Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson scored 11 or more, with starting center Madina Okot finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double.
“Just seeing my teammates, seeing the whole floor,” said Edwards when asked what she’s working on in practice.
Staley added that part of this season’s challenge to be more of a playmaker will keep aspects of Edwards’ game “fresh,” so instead of her forcing shots through double or triple teams, defenses are forced to guard the passes Edwards makes instead. That will in turn enhance her footwork and what she does at the rim, according to Staley.
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South Carolina shot 62.9% from the floor and 72% of its points came from inside the paint. It had 20 assists on 44 made baskets and finished with 38 points off turnovers and 34 in transition.
Since her season-low of 12 points against Louisville on Dec. 4, Edwards has gone 36-of-46 from the floor. She hasn’t missed more than nine shots in a game all season and has five games where she’s only missed four or less.
As a freshman she finished 52.9% from the floor. She’s now shooting 58.6%.
“She’s developing quite nicely,” Staley said. “I think the most important thing about Joyce is that she’s a competitor, she wants to win.”
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South Carolina has its second of two games on the road before Christmas, facing Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 20 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+) in Fort Myers, Florida.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley reacts to Joyce Edwards’ performance for South Carolina
