South Carolina Basketball Is “Post Player U” and the Gamecocks Aren’t Stopping

South Carolina’s basketball program is now called “Post Player U.”

A’ja Wilson is the best player in the world. Aliyah Boston has made the WNBA All-Star Game in her two seasons as a pro. Kamilla Cardoso is the best young post defender in the game. And the current crop of Gamecocks is really good too.

The trend is set to continue, as the 2024-25 version of Dawn Staley’s South Carolina basketball team features an abundance of assets in the paint. Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts rotated in as the team’s primary starters at power forward last season, Sania Feagin is a veteran player coming off her best season, incoming freshman Joyce Edwards won multiple National Player of the Year awards in high school and can play anywhere on the frontcourt, and 5-star freshman Adhel Tac is 6’6” and plays a similar game to Kamilla Cardoso. Transfer portal addition Maryam Dauda is a bit of a wildcard, but should be a valuable contributor who can play multiple spots.

The Gamecocks are so loaded with talent at the forward and center positions that Sakima Walker, the 2022-2023 Junior College National Player of the Year, is expected to be the fifth or sixth post player in the rotation.

Exactly how Coach Staley will deploy her longest troops is not yet known. However, there is no stronger frontcourt group in the country, so she has plenty of options.

Ashlyn Watkins was an All-SEC performer last year and is one of the nation’s top defenders and rebounders. A candidate to lead the nation in blocked shots, Watkins is extremely athletic (with enough bounce that she’s thrown down multiple dunks in her college career) and is developing into a much better offensive player.

*EDIT* Ashlyn Watkins was arrested on Saturday and is facing charges of assault and kidnapping. Her legal status, her position at the university, and her position on the South Carolina basketball team are still unknown at this time.

Chloe Kitts is the most polished offensive returning player in the bigs. She can score in the post, she has a really fluid midrange shot, and she has started to extend her reach on the perimeter. Kitts has great instincts as a rebounder and has enough ballhandling and passing to be an offensive engine when Coach Staley wants to take a break from running things through her guards.

One of the seniors on this year’s team, Sania Feagin is tall and strong and is the type of player who can be a spark on both ends of the court. She has good feet when she gets into a rhythm with her post moves, and she plays hard and aggressive when she’s on the court.

Joyce Edwards will step right into the Gamecocks’ rotation, even as a true freshman. One of the nation’s top players in the high school class of 2024, she was considered an elite defensive prospect before developing into an unstoppable offensive player as a senior. She’s athletic and long enough to be a mismatch problem at any frontcourt position, and watching how Dawn Staley uses her will be one of the many fun parts of the upcoming season.

The tallest player on the list is redshirt freshman Adhel Tac. Originally a 5-star in the class of 2024, she enrolled early while rehabbing a knee injury. It will be interesting to see how she integrates into the Carolina system, but if she’s healthy and ready to go, she’ll contribute by providing elite size in the team’s rebounding and shot-blocking efforts.

Maryam Dauda, ​​who comes over from the Arkansas Razorbacks, is another versatile forward who should be a major factor for USC. She’s a switchable defender with great instincts as a shot blocker, and she offers plenty of athleticism and a bit of jump shooting, both from the midrange and the perimeter.

Sakima Walker is one of the leaders on the team and she is, along with Adhel Tac, the only player who is at least 1.96 meters tall. Based on last year, she will not be a regular part of the rotation, but she will be a reliable player if/when her number is called.

Each of these players has a chance to get a WNBA opportunity, contributing to the Gamecocks’ best post presence in the league. Gamecock legends A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso all rank in the top 11 in the W in rebounding and top 9 in blocked shots. Wilson is the favorite for WNBA MVP, Boston could make the All-WNBA team and Cardoso is a lock for All-Rookie and could make the WNBA All-Defensive team.

With South Carolina’s current crop of basketball stars making the transition to the professional game, it should come as no surprise to anyone that several of them will go on to make a major impact in the WNBA.

Watkins, Kitts, Feagin, Edwards, Tac, Dauda, ​​Walker and the rest of the Gamecocks open their season on November 4 in Las Vegas, when they take on the Michigan Wolverines as part of the Hall of Fame Series.