Adding Oliviyah Edwards, a five-star prospect ranked No. 3 in the ESPN class of 2026, to any program would immediately raise its ceiling. But when that team is the South Carolina Gamecocks, even she knows there is plenty of room to grow. So, rather than arriving with any sense of entitlement, she morphed into a sponge, eager to absorb everything she could from the surrounding veterans, like Chloe Kitts.

And Kitts has noticed. “She really wants to learn from me and Ashlyn,” Kitts said, describing an eagerness that clearly hasn’t gone unappreciated. For her part, Kitts has embraced the mentor role with open arms. “We’re going to be very helpful for her, and I’m just excited,” she added.

What makes Kitts a perfect fit to guide a rookie through the demands of high-level college basketball is her experience. Kitts is entering perhaps her final season of college eligibility in the 2026/27 season. She was originally a senior during the 2025/26 campaign before a torn ACL in October 2025 forced her to take a medical redshirt. 

But even when she wasn’t playing, Kitts never stopped leading. Throughout her redshirt season on the sidelines, she took on a supportive mentorship role that left a clear impression on the program. Coach Dawn Staley praised Kitts, saying she continued to pour her “competitive fire and tenacity” into her teammates, ensuring the team’s success even from the bench. Her teammates also echoed Staley’s sentiment, describing Kitts as a leader whose voice could still be heard “from a mile away” regardless of whether she was in uniform.

Now, with a return to full health projected ahead of the November season opener, Kitts is ready to lead both on and off the court. And for a rookie like Oliviyah Edwards, the news couldn’t have come at a better time. She’ll have a front-row seat to what a seasoned Gamecock looks like in every sense of the word. And as Kitts has already made clear, she’s more than excited to show her.

Kitts is, however, under no illusions about just how gifted her new teammate is. She describes Edwards as a “freak athlete and a great player.” At 6’3″ with elite lateral mobility, Edwards can guard multiple positions. She can finish above the rim with either hand and do things physically that very few players at any level can replicate. She is also one of the rare players in women’s college basketball known for her ability to dunk.

The stage she commanded before arriving in Colombia only reinforces that. At the McDonald’s All-American Game, Edwards won the one-on-one competition outright. She also finished as the runner-up in the dunk contest, a performance that turned plenty of heads. But the numbers from her senior high school season were perhaps the most jaw-dropping statement of all. She averaged 30.0 points, 22.0 rebounds, and 5.0 blocks per game. That is a massive leap from the already impressive 16.0 ppg she averaged across her previous three high school years.

That upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing, particularly given the environment she’s now stepping into. Beyond Chloe Kitts, Edwards will also benefit from the return of Ashlyn Watkins, who, like Kitts, is also coming back after missing the entire 2025–26 season with an ACL injury. And the learning opportunities don’t stop there. She’ll be sharing a locker room with the likes of Tessa Johnson and Joyce Edwards, who led the Gamecocks in scoring last season with an impressive 19.2 ppg. The collective experience surrounding her is as rich as it gets at the college level.

This opportunity, however, almost looked very different. Edwards originally signed with Tennessee in November 2025, before requesting a release following significant roster and coaching staff turnover within the program. 

In hindsight, the pivot to South Carolina looks like an inspired decision. Not just for the talent she brings to the Gamecocks, but for what the Gamecocks bring to her. A program built to win, veterans invested in her growth, and above all, Dawn Staley was in her corner. For a player with Edwards’ ceiling, there may be no better place to find out just how high that ceiling goes.

Chloe Kitts prioritizes growth in South Carolina despite WNBA draft eligibility

Kitts was eligible for the recently concluded 2026 WNBA Draft based on her age and class status. And given her track record, she wasn’t without a case for being selected. Before her injury, she was a top-10 prospect in the 2026 draft class, a stock that had risen significantly off the back of her breakout 2024–25 season, where she averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Even with the injury-delayed start to what was supposed to be her final season, she still had a realistic shot at hearing her name called.

But Kitts had no interest in finding out. As far as she was concerned, her work in Colombia wasn’t done. “I still got some more stuff I gotta do here. There’s no point in leaving,” she said. The WNBA remains the dream, but she believes an additional year at South Carolina, healthy, fully integrated, and operating at her best, will make her a significantly better professional when that moment comes.

Her father, Jason Kitts, shares that conviction entirely. Speaking directly to coach Dawn Staley, he made the family’s position unmistakably clear. “Kitts is coming back. She’s going to be around you, she’s going to be in the culture, she’s going to be in the community. She’s going to be bigger, faster, and stronger.” For him, there was simply no scenario where his daughter would limp into the WNBA Draft, not when she could return and do things the right way.

The stage has been set for a season that could prove defining on multiple fronts. A fully healthy Kitts, playing with something to prove, and a draft stock to rebuild. She will now also take on the responsibility of shaping the next generation of Gamecocks alongside her, including Edwards.