Struggling Joyce Edwards has to ‘let it all go’ as South Carolina WBB enters Final Four
South Carolina has relied on Joyce Edwards all season to provide a boost on offense and she’s largely met, if not exceeded, those expectations.
The freshman entered the NCAA Tournament as the Gamecocks’ leading scorer — off the bench — with 13.2 points per game and shooting 55% from the field. She scored 22 points in the first round of the tournament against No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech, six points off from her career high.
But in the last three games her offensive production has tanked.
Edwards totaled just 15 points in the second round, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games combined for an average of five points per game. For reference, Edwards has scored 15 or more points a whopping 14 times this season. Her field goal percentage has also dropped to 28.6% in the last three games.
“Yeah, teams are scheming,” coach Dawn Staley said after South Carolina’s win over Duke in the Elite Eight. “It’s a gift and a curse that you are our leading scorer, so people are going to zero in on that and scheme to cut her production in half, and because of that, there is a short gap between us winning and losing basketball games.”
Edwards was double teamed often by Indiana in the second round of the tournament and limited to five points and was 2 for 8 from the field. After the game Staley said they knew the double teams were coming and she felt it was good for Edwards’ growth to adjust to it.
“I probably jinxed her a little bit because I knew they were going to sit on her right hand and take that away,” Staley said after the second round. “We knew they were going to double. Sometimes it’s just hard to see. She’s used to scoring the basketball and when she is not in the flow like she normally is it’s disruptive. They disrupted her. She’s gonna watch it. And then if anybody else wants to double her, she’ll be well prepared. Sometimes young people need to see it and go through it.”
Edwards scored six points against Maryland in the Sweet 16 and scored just four points against Duke in the Elite Eight. Staley said her staff would simplify things for Edwards coming into the Final Four.
After some preparation this week, Edwards said she feels she’s coming into South Carolina’s Final Four matchup with Texas on Friday more “open-minded.”
“I feel like after Indiana, I came into the game anticipating a double team that may necessarily not always have been there, but may have been there in different situations,” Edwards said. “So it kind of caused me to overthink a little bit and think against myself. So I just recognize how they’re telling me things, to give me options for situations that may happen in the game. But at the end of the day, I’ve played basketball for over 10 years. I know what I’m doing out there.”
The slump Edwards is in, while untimely, is ultimately just something that happens in basketball.
“I feel like each and every one of us have hit a roadblock throughout the season, and now it’s gotten to the point where Joyce has hit a roadblock,” Maryam Dauda said. “We’ve each found a way to flip the page, or knock down the wall and move on to the next play, or whatever. … It’s hard, obviously, as a freshman to do that. But she just has to fight and just find a different way to get there.”
Her teammates say the disappointing play has admittedly gotten to Edwards a bit, but that she’s also shown signs of growth in how she has been able to let it roll off her back.
“My coaches talk to me, my teammates talk to me, my parents, my family talk to me so I feel like I’m in a good head space. … I feel like I learned from it,” Edwards said. “I have to let it all go and just go out there and play basketball. I know how to play it, so I just have to remind myself that.”
Sania Feagin, Adhel Tac and Chloe Kitts all told The State that Edwards’ success is crucial for the flow of South Carolina’s offense. While they’re trying to encourage her to perform well in the scoring column, they’re also trying to find ways to get her to impact the game elsewhere if her shots aren’t falling.
“We’re just trying to help her find something else to get her going,” Kitts said. “And that’s like, maybe dragging (the slump) out. We’ve just been feeding her with confidence. I’ve definitely had some talks with her and just telling her, you don’t need to score. If you can’t score — well, we need her to score — but, I mean, if that’s not working out for you, go do something else. Go rebound or go have a really, really good defense.”
Edwards has averaged 10 points in the three previous matchups South Carolina has had with Texas this year. She said she’s feeling good coming into the Final Four and the Gamecocks will need her for what will be the most important stretch of USC’s season.
“I know she wants to play well,” Staley said after the Elite Eight. I know she wants to help our basketball team, but sometimes, you know, in situations like this, I mean, you’ve helped us all season long and it’s OK to allow some other players to help in those situations. … We need her. (If) we are going to win a national championship, we need better production from Joyce.”
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 4:11 PM.
