Joyce Edwards and the first-seeded South Carolina women’s basketball team open the 2026 NCAA Tournament on March 21 with a first-round game against 16th-seed Southern. The Gamecocks put together a 31-3 record to enter March Madness, finishing first in the SEC.
The sophomore Edwards is in her second March Madness, helping lead South Carolina to the brink of another national championship before the Gamecocks ran smack into UConn in the title game. Here’s what to know about Edwards.
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Joyce Edwards stats 2025-26 season
All stats as of Selection Sunday (March 15)
- Points per game: 19.6
- Rebounds per game: 6.3
- Assist per game: 2.4
- Field Goal Percentage: 58.7%
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Edwards’ South Carolina records
Joyce Edwards has wasted little time making history at South Carolina.The 6-foot-3 sophomore recently surpassed 1,000 career points, becoming the fifth-fastest Gamecock to reach the milestone. During her freshman season, she set the program record for most games played in a season with 39 and established herself as one of the most productive first-year players in school history.
Edwards excels in the classroom
Edwards is an Honors Environmental Engineering major and carried a 5.0 GPA throughout high school. Her academic ambitions were so specific that South Carolina coach Dawn Staley worked with the university’s honors college to establish a specialized academic path that aligned with Edwards’ goals.Both of her parents, Rasheedah and Charlie, are engineers and and Edwards has said she aspires to the same profession after basketball. She was named to the 2024-25 SEC Academic Honor Roll and has consistently emphasized education as a priority alongside her success on the cour
Edwards’ efficient inside scoring
Edwards is averaging 19.8 points a game — ranking among the top 20 scorers nationally and third in the SEC — while rarely relying on the 3-point shot.Instead, she dominates inside the arc, with only 1.7% of her scoring being from 3-point rangeIn December, she erupted for 34 points against South Florida, shooting 14-of-15 from the field in one of the most efficient performances in the country this season. She adds more than six rebounds a game and has been named SEC Player of the Week three times this year, along with earning USBWA National Player of the Week honors on Feb. 10.
When is the Women’s Final Four?
The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament tips off on Friday, April 3 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and Arizona.
2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament full schedule
- March 18-19: First Four
- March 20-21: First Round
- March 22-23: Second Round
- March 27-28: Sweet 16
- March 29-30: Elite 8
- April 3: Final Four
- April 5: National Championship
Lily Cincola contributed to this story
