South Carolina lands No. 3 recruit in Class of 2026

Head coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women’s basketball team are continuing their winning ways in the offseason. Five-star recruit and SC NEXT 100 No. 3 prospect Oliviyah Edwards announced her commitment to the Gamecocks on Thursday, becoming the team’s highest-ranked Class of 2026 recruit.

“I chose South Carolina because it felt like home,” Edwards told ESPN. “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.”

Breaking: Oliviyah Edwards, the No. 3 ranked player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2026, has committed to South Carolina, she tells ESPN’s @ShaneLaflin. pic.twitter.com/P2Cy7RXuMS

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) April 23, 2026

Edwards originally agreed to join Tennessee in November 2025, but after the Lady Vols saw drastic changes to their roster, the forward decided to reopen her recruitment earlier in April. South Carolina ultimately beat out LSU, Texas, USC, Florida, Louisville, and Washington, which were all in pursuit of Edwards at some point during her recruitment.

The McDonald’s All American proved she was a highly ranked player in the Class of 2026 by putting her athletic and versatile well-rounded skillset on display. Edwards most recently played with the Northwest Greyhounds in the Adidas 3SSB circuit, putting up 17.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and solidifying herself as one of the nation’s top prospects.

The 6-foot-3 Edwards is set to join a South Carolina recruitment class that also features No. 6 Jerzy Robinson, No. 19 Kaeli Wynn, and No. 30 Kelsi Andrews.

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