South Carolina women's basketball: Predicting next season's rotation - Final version

Ashlyn Watkins has made her anticipated return to the Gamecocks official. With all the birdies in the nest, what will South Carolina’s rotation look like?

South Carolina now has a full roster of 15 players for the 2026-27 season. There is no room to add another player unless someone leaves first. That is a highly unlikely (but not impossible) scenario.

As with my other projections, I am splitting the roster into two groups: backcourt and frontcourt. Watkins’ return doesn’t really change anything in the backcourt, although she increases the chance of playing a big lineup with one of the forwards playing the wing.

(Starters in bold. Heights are from FIBA when possible)

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BACKCOURT

Point guard: Maddy McDaniel (JR, 5-9)

Guard: Tessa Johnson (SR, 6-0), Jordan Lee (JR, 6-0), Jerzy Robinson (FR, 6-2) 

Wing: Agot Makeer (SO, 6-2), Ayla McDowell (SO, 6-1), Justine Loubens (FR, 6-1), Kaeli Wynn (FR, 6-2)

Adding Loubens should not change the top of the rotation.

South Carolina did not add a transfer point guard to compete with McDaniel. That tells me that Dawn Staley is confident that McDaniel is ready to start. 

Johnson, Lee, and Makeer will play the bulk of the minutes in the backcourt, regardless of who starts. I slotted Makeer in as the starter because she is bigger than Lee, and I want to make sure either Lee or Johnson is always on the floor. 

Johnson and Makeer played backup point guard last season in short spurts, but they will have to play more this season. Lee has never been a primary ball-handler, and bringing her off the bench makes it easier for Johnson and Makeer to slide on-ball.

It’s hard not to give Robinson a bigger role. She is a physical scorer who can defend and rebound. She might be the third option at all three positions, and I think she is ahead of Loubens in the rotation

Outside of Brea Beal’s career, when the wing position was more of a small forward, there isn’t much distinction between the guard and wing positions. The wing is usually the bigger and better defender of the two.

That being said, Loubens clearly fits the mold of a wing. She is definitely a perimeter player, but she doesn’t seem to be enough of a ball-handler to play guard.x!

FRONTCOURT

Forward: Chloe Kitts (R-SR, 6-3), Alicia Tournebize (SO, 6-7), Oliviyah Edwards (FR, 6-3)

Post: Joyce Edwards (JR, 6-3), Ashlyn Watkins (SR, 6-3), Kelsi Andrews (FR, 6-3), Adhel Tac (R-JR, 6-5)

I’m still using the “don’t overthink it” theory and making Kitts and Joyce Edwards the starters. After all, they are the Gamecocks’ only two former All-Americans.

But I am also assuming perfect health. Watkins should be completely recovered from her torn ACL, and with a summer of Final Four Fridays, she should also be in game shape. Kitts has made remarkable progress in her rehab from her torn ACL, but she will still only be a year removed from the surgery.

If Kitts isn’t 100%, I could see starting Watkins in the middle, Joyce Edwards at forward, and bringing Kitts off the bench as the sixth woman. That gives South Carolina more rebounding and rim protection, plus Staley likes having an impact player off the bench

The rotation largely depends on how the offseason goes for the whole group. What if Watkins isn’t the same player she was in 2024? If Tournebize gets stronger and more assertive, maybe Staley starts her instead of Watkins for a big lineup.

Even with Watkins back, Oliviyah Edwards is probably the best athlete on the team. She has the biggest upside, but her game is pretty raw, and Robinson is more college-ready. Edwards will likely start out as the third forward, and possibly the third post.

Adding Watkins probably bumps Andrews and Tac from the rotation, although Tac would still have a role against opponents with a big, traditional post player. It’s not the worst thing for Andrews, who gets a season to develop without pressure to produce right away.

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