Four Gamecocks Receive All-America Honors

COLUMBIA, S.C. – In a remarkable achievement for South Carolina women’s basketball, four Gamecocks have earned All-America honorable mention honors. Junior Chloe Kitts and freshman Joyce Edwards were recognized by both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and the Associated Press (AP). Meanwhile, senior Te-Hina Paopao and sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley received the distinction from the AP.

This marks the second time in the past three seasons and the third time in program history that four Gamecocks have received All-America honors. It’s also the 12th consecutive season a Gamecock has earned an All-America nod, continuing the legacy since Dawn Staley’s first South Carolina All-Americans, Tiffany Mitchell and Aleighsa Welch, in 2013-14.

Chloe Kitts has been a standout all season, leading the team in rebounding and showing off her all-around game in recent weeks. Ranking ninth in the SEC for rebounding with a career-best 7.88 boards per game, she raised that figure to 8.25 rebounds per SEC game, ranking fourth in the conference. Among her team-high nine double-doubles is a historic triple-double at Ole Miss (Feb. 27), just the second in SEC game history for the program. That performance—16 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists—kicked off a five-game stretch, including three straight double-doubles, as she averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. This stretch helped Kitts earn SEC Tournament MVP honors and led the Gamecocks to their third consecutive SEC Tournament title.

Joyce Edwards, the third Gamecock freshman to receive First-Team All-SEC recognition, led the team in scoring for much of the season, averaging 13.2 points per game. Her performance included 14.4 points per SEC game and 12.3 points per game against ranked opponents. Edwards also ranks fourth in the SEC in field goal percentage at .550 and 10th in free throw percentage at .777. She’s led the Gamecocks in scoring in 14 games this season, with a team-high 24 double-figure scoring games and four 20-point performances. Edwards also boasts three double-doubles, including one against a ranked opponent and two in SEC play.

Te-Hina Paopao has been the steadying leader for the Gamecocks, especially in the early part of the season. Her leadership and court vision helped South Carolina solidify its position as a contender for both SEC and NCAA titles. Paopao’s 9.8 points per game increase to 10.5 against ranked opponents, where she shoots 46.6 percent from the field. As the team’s top distributor, she averages 3.0 assists per game, which rises to 3.44 in SEC play, ranking 12th in the conference. Paopao’s 2.48 assist-to-turnover ratio is the 16th-best in the nation. In addition to improving her defense, she has diversified her offensive game this season, contributing 4.4 points from 3-point range, 3.5 from the paint, and 1.3 from midrange.

MiLaysia Fulwiley, the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year and a Second-Team All-SEC selection, continues to impress with her athleticism and creativity on the court. Her contributions go beyond just scoring, as she’s added a defensive element to her game, showing significant improvement in decision-making throughout the season. Fulwiley is second on the team in scoring, with an average of 12.0 points per game, including 13.4 in SEC play and 11.0 against ranked opponents. Defensively, she ranks 10th in the SEC in blocks (0.94 per SEC game) and ninth in steals (1.94 per SEC game). Most recently, she earned a spot on the SEC All-Tournament Team with an impressive 14.7 points, 3.33 assists, and 2.67 steals per game during the tournament.

As the Gamecocks continue their journey in the NCAA Tournament, they enter as the No. 1 seed in the Birmingham 2 Regional. South Carolina will host the first- and second-round games at Colonial Life Arena this weekend. The action begins on Friday, March 21, with No. 8 seed Utah facing No. 9 seed Indiana at 1:30 p.m., followed by South Carolina taking on No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech at approximately 4 p.m. The winners of these matchups will meet on Sunday, March 23, at a time to be determined.

Ticket booklets for the first- and second-round games at Colonial Life Arena are available online.