Why 5-star freshman Oliviyah Edwards is a good fit for Gamecocks
Melanie Jones first met Oliviyah Edwards when she was in fifth grade.
Back then, Edwards was just a shy student who didn’t speak much. Fast forward to 2026, and Edwards is regarded as one of the best high school basketball players in the entire country.
“I always knew she was gonna be successful,” Jones, who coached Edwards at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, told The State.
Edwards is a five-star forward who’s ranked No. 3 nationally in the Class of 2026 by ESPN. She’s the crown jewel of Dawn Staley’s incoming recruiting class at South Carolina.
Edwards capped off her high school career by averaging 30 points, 22 rebounds and five blocks for Lincoln in her senior year. Those stats helped her earn a McDonald’s All-American selection and a Naismith All-American honor. She was also a Naismith Trophy semifinalist.
Staley praised the “deep toolbox” and “elite intangibles” Edwards will bring to the table at South Carolina. Edwards can score, defend and process the game at a high level. Not to mention, the 6-foot-3 forward has been dunking since seventh grade.
“I would say [one] of those intangibles is her length,” Jones said, “when she goes full speed down court, how fast she can get down court and make blocks. She’s gotten a lot better with her agility, so being able to have balance and control in her body, her core strength. Those are big intangibles. You have other players that you know have great speed but are not strong. Oliviyah has really built up her strength and her agility.”
Landing at South Carolina
Edwards was a relatively late addition to the Gamecocks’ 2026 class. South Carolina missed out on her talents initially when she committed to Tennessee In November.
Edwards even signed with the Lady Vols but reopened her recruitment in April after she was granted a release from her letter of intent. Her departure was the tip of the iceberg in a mass roster exodus for Tennessee this offseason.
Jones said she wasn’t necessarily surprised Edwards decided to leave Tennessee. She cited a close relationship with Tennessee assistant Gabe Lazo, who left the Lady Vols to be head coach at UCF (after he was briefly hired to be an assistant at LSU).
“She truly loved Tennessee,” Jones said. “[She] was trying to hold out and see what happened with some players. But she had formed a very, very strong relationship with Coach Gabe and I think that that was pivotal. I know that she loved Tennessee, and she is about keeping commitments and her word. It wasn’t like the first day when people started leaving or reports started coming out that she was like, ‘I’m out of here.’ Definitely wasn’t that.”
Once Edwards reopened her recruitment, she took a flurry of official visits, including one to South Carolina. Edwards visited in mid-April and overlapped with Texas transfer Jordan Lee.
Less than a week later, Edwards announced she’d committed to South Carolina. She signed with the Gamecocks on April 27
“I think South Carolina is a place where she’s going to grow as a young lady, as a person, first academically, and then all the intangibles of playing with Dawn Staley,” Jones said. “…I was excited. She’s going to grow, she’s going to learn. I think she’s going to form some relationships, some strong bonds with people there in South Carolina.”
How Edwards fits in
Edwards is a natural fit for Staley’s system at South Carolina, Jones believes.
“I know Dawn will push the ball,” Jones said. “Olivia likes to get up and down the court. I know that Dawn is defensive-minded with their team. They play strong defense. They want to trap here and there. Oliviyah plays well doing those things.”
Edwards will be joining a group of versatile post players on South Carolina’s roster once she arrives on campus. And Jones said her “vertical ability” and outside shooting are what separate her from the rest of the talented top players in her class.
“I think she’ll be in an area where she won’t have to be four or the five,” Jones said. “She’ll be able to be like a three, where she can shoot more and not play directly at the basket. She will if she has to, if they’re sets that are drawn up that she needs to do that. But I think it’s going to be a good system for her.”
Although Edwards is a talented prospect, history tells us she’ll probably have to wait her turn behind a deep group of experienced, proven USC post players. That doesn’t mean she won’t play, but Edwards will have to work hard to carve out a role in a front court that’s anchored by the likes of Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts and more.
Jones said she has no doubts Edwards is ready to learn from the veterans on the roster.
“The thing about Oliviyah, she’s going in ready to absorb and soak up all the information and learn right away,” Jones said. “...She’s going to learn a lot, but I don’t think she’ll have a problem with that at all. For her to be where she’s ranked and stuff is very unique, her kind of attitude and mindset toward everything.”
