Top 2026 WBB recruit names South Carolina a finalist. Official visit set
Dawn Staley and South Carolina are finalists for one of the top women’s basketball recruits in the Class of 2026.
Oliviyah Edwards announced on social media Wednesday that the Gamecocks are among the top six schools she’s considering in her recruitment. South Carolina is joined by Southern Cal, LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Washington.
Edwards is a five-star forward who is the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2026 in espnW’s rankings.
The 6-foot-3 Tacoma, Washington rising senior told Yahoo Sports she is “leaning” toward one of her finalists but will hold off on making a commitment until after she takes official visits.
Edwards announced three of the dates for those official visits last week on social media. She plans to visit Tennessee on Sept. 12, South Carolina from Sept. 19-21 and LSU from Oct. 9-12, per her posts. She took an unofficial visit to South Carolina back in January, the same week the Gamecocks beat LSU 66-56 at home.
Yahoo Sports reported Edwards will also be taking official visits to Florida on Sept. 5 and Washington on Sep. 26.
“I’m going to keep an open mindset, and then after that, I’m going to make my decision, and that’ll be that,” Edwards told Yahoo Sports.
Edwards — who dunked for the first time in seventh grade (at age 13) — is described as the “most intriguing” prospect in the Class of 2026 by 247Sports director of women’s basketball scouting Brandon Clay. She currently plays for Elite Sports Academy in Tacoma and was named to the Naismith High School All-American Second Team in March.
“Edwards is a fantastic frontcourt option when sprinting the lane in the open floor,” Clay’s scouting report of Edwards says. “In that regard, she is the most intriguing prospect in the class right now. She possesses a physical toolbox that no one else has. Edwards is also showing signs of making the 15-18 foot jumper when her feet are set. Her calling card is her willingness to rebound the basketball and be impactful in the paint.”
Staley and the Gamecocks currently have no commitments in the 2026 class, though that isn’t uncommon as the early signing period isn’t until November.
This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM.
