COLUMBIA — Joyce Edwards scored 143 points across six games in December.
After a career-high 34 against USF on Dec. 18, a game where she shot 14-of-15 in South Carolina women’s basketball’s road victory, coach Dawn Staley’s reflection was a healthy mix of praise and recognition but also previewing what her sophomore starter can do.
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“Joyce isn’t just a scorer, she’s a play-maker,” Staley said. “She can make the play that’s suppose to be made and sometimes you got to force her to do those things because she’s so locked in to playing advantage basketball, meaning she can probably score against anyone guarding her. We’re challenging her to open up that part of her game.”
Shooting 93.3% from the floor in 28 minutes is memorable but no longer realistic. SEC defenses rattle even the best scorers and through the first six conference games, that was evident.
Edwards averaged 23.8 points her final six non-conference games of this season but averaged 16.3 across her first six SEC games to go with 21 total turnovers.
In five of those six, she missed at least six shots from the floor and twice, she missed at least eight.
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Then the Vanderbilt game happened where she displayed that play-making Staley wants.
The No. 3 Gamecocks (20-2, 5-1 SEC) work through eight more SEC games beginning with Auburn on Jan. 29 (9 pm. ET, SEC Network).
South Carolina vs Vanderbilt showed Joyce Edwards growth
In the 103-74 rout of then No. 4 Vanderbilt, Edwards had 16 points with seven rebounds.
She had 10 total assists in her first six SEC games but against Vanderbilt, she had six which tied her career-high.
Edwards shot 25% in the 94-82 overtime loss to No. 16 Oklahoma on Jan. 22 which tied for a career-worst. Three days later she shot 70%, her seventh best field goal percent of the season.
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With 4:13 in the second quarter on Jan. 25 Edwards caught the ball off a soft screen for Ta’Niya Latson. She squared herself to the basket with one defender on her, scanning the floor to see three teammates across the court before she even dribbled.
Either of the three passes were likely to get picked off so she dribbled hard to the right then wisely pulled her dribble left as she backed up to drop her defender back on her heels as she scored a layup with ease.
The right shot to take, a crafty move but scoring by herself wasn’t her first thought.
South Carolina’s offense is at its best with Edwards performing like she did and even the best scorers are the best play-makers.
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A’ja Wilson and Joyce Edwards stats compared
Edwards was the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 class and made her commitment to Staley’s program exactly 10 years after A’ja Wilson did.
Wilson, Staley’s first commitment by a No. 1 prospect sat in a gym 37.4 miles from where Edwards grew up and made a decision that will forever impact every other player who dons garnet and black.
Wilson wasn’t just a local product staying home, she soon set a standard of excellence in four seasons, winning South Carolina’s first national championship in 2017 then leaving the most decorated athlete across all sports on campus.
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In 2023 Edwards was at Tiffany Mitchell’s jersey retirement three days before she announced her commitment. While Edwards talked with current and former Gamecocks, one really mattered.
“I had a conversation with A’ja specifically, because we play the most similar. She gave me a lot of good advice,” Edwards said after her commitment.
When Edwards had 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in her first Final Four on April 4, 2025, Wilson was in Tampa, Florida two rows behind the bench watching.
“The reason why we’re here is because of her,” Edwards told ESPN fresh off the win. “It’s crazy for her to see her full circle how her legacy is inspiring other girls like me to come out here and play.”
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A season later, Edwards’s change in South Carolina’s system mirrors Wilson’s.
Both came off the bench in their first seasons, Wilson averaged 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, one assist and 19.8 minutes as a freshman. Edwards averaged 12.7 points, five rebounds, 1.2 assists and 21.4 minutes.
Just like Wilson, Edwards’ role increased as a sophomore which meant her stats did too.
Through her first 61 career games, Edwards averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Wilson averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in her first 61 games.
Wilson finished the 2015-16 season averaging 16.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Edwards is averaging 20 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists as of Jan. 27.
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Right now Edwards has a 28.2% usage rating, scoring 1.05 points per play. Wilson had a 28.9% usage rating as a sophomore, averaging 0.99 points per play.
With 934 career points, Edwards is trying to become just the third player in program history to reach 1,000 points as a sophomore. Wilson was the second, notching the millennium mark her 69th career game.
She’d need to score just 9.4 points across the next seven games to reach 1,000 faster than Wilson.
“I do see a little bit of myself in Joyce and that’s,” Wilson said Feb. 2, 2025.
She paused, a smirk grew.
“That’s pretty good.”
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Joyce Edwards mirroring A’ja Wilson’s sophomore season with play-making, not just scoring
