‘She’s found her footing’: Joyce Edwards elevates her impact for Gamecocks in SEC play
No. 2 South Carolina leaned on its latest freshman phenom in the team’s 76-58 win over No. 19 Alabama on Thursday night.
Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks in scoring against the Crimson Tide, setting a career high with 21 points. The former Camden High School star was 7 of 10 from the floor and was a perfect 7 of 7 in free throws.
“Just went back to the fundamentals,” Edwards said of her performance. “We understood that we had a mismatch — with them playing four guards — and we just took advantage of it.”
The freshman has made an immediate impact for the Gamecocks since arriving on campus this year. Edwards leads the team in scoring with 11.8 points per game and is doing it all coming off the bench.
Her performances haven’t been one-offs either. Edwards has led the team in scoring in six games this season. Through 18 games, the freshman has consistently found a way to play a big role in South Carolina’s success.
Her continued success after Ashlyn Watkins’ season-ending injury is certainly a benefit for the Gamecocks as well.
“Joyce is special,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said. “She works really hard at it. She doesn’t take plays off. She might not be ready for some plays — they got her in the fourth quarter. But she’s a relentless worker. She’s a tireless worker. She wants to be great at everything that she does.
“To see her play as consistently and efficiently over the past couple of games, it’s saying that she’s found her footing. I think she understands what we lost and what she needs to do to help close that gap.”
Edwards’ scoring numbers have seen a slight increase since the start of SEC play. She averaged 11 points in the first 13 games of the season and is averaging 13.8 points in South Carolina’s five SEC matchups.
“Just trying to stay consistent, that’s really it,” Edwards said. “Doing what I can to get to the fundamentals, just reading the defense, not trying to press. Just relax and do what the defense gives me.”
Notching a career high against a ranked opponent would probably give any player a confidence boost. But for a player like Edwards, that’s all just another day at the office.
“I did make an impact offensively, but, you know with this team it could be anybody any night,” she said. “It’s just that simple. I understand my value, whether I have 20 points, or whether I have 10 points or five points. I understand my impact and my value.”
With Watkins out for the year, Staley said she would lean on the likes of Edwards, Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin to fill in any gaps. Those three, especially Edwards, have stepped up in Watkins’ absence and will need to continue to do so for the remainder of the year.
“Yeah, I feel like we all stepped up individually,” Edwards said. “I don’t think anybody’s carrying it all. (It’s not) one load on one shoulders. We’re all coming together and just improving the team overall in her absence. That’s something I’m proud of.”
