A look at South Carolina WBB’s transfer portal targets, and a 5-star visitor
We’re just over a week into transfer portal season in the women’s college basketball world.
The portal opened April 6, the day after Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks lost to UCLA in the national title game. It will remain open until April 20. Players must enter into the portal by that date but can commit to a school at any time.
Staley has been busy this offseason. On Monday night she was in New York City to watch three Gamecocks — Raven Johnson, Madina Okot and Ta’Niya Latson — be selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft. And on Tuesday, she was reportedly hosting recruits on a visit in Columbia.
Here’s the latest roundup of South Carolina’s latest transfer portal activity plus what the Gamecocks are looking for in the portal.
What does South Carolina need in the portal?
After South Carolina’s season ended, Staley said she’d like to add to the Gamecocks’ backcourt.
“Obviously, we’ve got to add some guard play,” Staley said on April 5. “Definitely some lead guard play, some more athleticism in the guard department.”
The Gamecocks are losing two starters in Johnson and Latson. Those are two massive holes, as the All-American Johnson has been South Carolina’s starting point guard for the last three seasons and Latson was a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Assuming South Carolina doesn’t lose anyone to the portal, the Gamecocks are returning four guards in Tessa Johnson, Maddy McDaniel, Agot Makeer and Ayla McDowell. Of those, McDaniel appears to be the heir apparent to Raven Johnson at point guard, while Tessa Johnson, Makeer and McDowell are all bigger guards who play a bit more off the ball.
Trade one Johnson for another?
South Carolina’s first known visitor from the transfer portal was from Staley’s alma mater.
Several outlets reported Virginia point guard Kymora Johnson took a visit to South Carolina last week.
Johnson was a three-time All-ACC player at UVA and averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals in her three seasons with the Cavaliers. The 2025-26 season was one of the better years of Johnson’s career. The junior averaged a career-high 19.5 points and led the ACC with 5.9 assists per game.
The Cavaliers went on a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16 last month, thanks largely in part to Johnson’s play. She averaged 22.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals in the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson and South Carolina seem like a match made in heaven. Staley, who was a star at UVA in her college days, needs someone who has the potential to come in and be a dynamic scorer at point guard right away. Johnson can provide that.
South Carolina is competing with TCU and UCLA for Johnson’s talents, per On3’s Talia Goodman.
Texas guard Jordan Lee in town this week
South Carolina is hosting a talented SEC guard this week that Gamecock fans should recognize.
Texas guard Jordan Lee is on campus this week taking a visit to South Carolina, Goodman reported Tuesday. Lee, Staley and the team were seen Tuesday night at USC’s baseball game vs. Davidson.
The 6-foot guard from California is coming off the best year of her career with the Longhorns. Lee averaged a career-high 13.2 points per game this past season (her sophomore campaign) and was second on the team in scoring. Lee started all but one of the 39 games she played in and averaged 31.7 minutes per game in 2025-26.
Lee has played against South Carolina seven times in her two-year career. She’s scored at least 10 points in the last four matchups against the Gamecocks, including a team-high 19 points in a win over USC in Las Vegas early last season. In 2025, Lee was an All-SEC Freshman Team selection.
Lee plans to visit TCU later this week, Goodman reported.
South Carolina back in play for Oliviyah Edwards?
One of the best recruits in the Class of 2026 recently reopened their recruitment and Staley and the Gamecocks appear to be back in the running.
Five-star forward Oliviyah Edwards was in town Tuesday for a visit with South Carolina, the Greenville News reported. Edwards was also seen with Staley and the team at USC’s baseball game Tuesday.
Edwards is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2026 by ESPN. The Washington native and McDonald’s All-American, signed with Tennessee in November but was released from her letter of intent last week.
Staley and the Gamecocks made the cut for her original top six finalists last August alongside LSU, Tennessee, Southern Cal, Florida and Washington.
The 6-foot-3 forward was slated to take an official visit to South Carolina in September but committed to Tennessee before her trip to Columbia.
Edwards will also take a visit to Louisville on Friday, anonymous WBB insider Skim Milkey reported Monday.
This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 9:44 AM with the headline "A look at South Carolina WBB’s transfer portal targets, and a 5-star visitor."
