When was the last time a South Carolina Gamecocks player posted back-to-back 25-point games? The answer traces back to A’ja Wilson to her final NCAA season in 2018. And guess what… Joyce Edwards has just joined that exclusive list.

The sophomore forward torched the Penn State Lady Lions for 29 points, six steals, five assists, four rebounds, and four blocks on December 14, 2025. A week back, Edwards dropped 25 against the North Carolina Central Eagles in a 106-42 rout. No Gamecock had strung together top performances like that since Wilson wore the garnet and black colors.

ESPNW captured the moment with a heartwarming carousel on Instagram: clips of Edwards mid-drive, converting layups, drawing fouls, and unhesitatingly sinking shots from beyond the arc. The visual said what the numbers already confirmed. History is repeating itself in Columbia.

But here’s what makes the comparison more than surface-level nostalgia.

Through both stars’ first 43 college games, Edwards and Wilson produced nearly identical averages.

Joyce Edwards: 5 starts, 13.2 points, 53% shooting from the field, 5.2 rebounds.

Hall of Fame veteran A’ja Wilson: 7 starts, 13.7 points, 54% field shooting, 7 rebounds.

Each had just one start during their freshman year. The parallels aren’t manufactured. They’re documented.

Edwards’ career night against the Lady Lions wasn’t just about the scoring. She also became the first South Carolina player in 22 years to record at least 25 points, five assists, and five steals in a single game. The No. 3-ranked Gamecocks cruised to a 95-55 victory, their dominance unquestioned.

Ten games into her sophomore season, Edwards is averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 57.7% from the field. That’s a significant jump from her freshman numbers of 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds.

A’ja Wilson herself has acknowledged the connection.

“I do see a little bit of myself in Joyce, and that is good considering my college career,” Wilson said in February earlier this year. “She is going to be perfect.”

The 6’3″ forward from Camden, South Carolina, arrived as the No. 3 recruit in the nation. She earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors and co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game. The expectations were enormous. And she’s exceeding them.

Edwards used to mop floors at Colonial Life Arena as a middle schooler just to watch Wilson-led Gamecocks for free. She eventually snapped a photo with her favorite player. Now she’s chasing her records.

The sophomore’s rise didn’t happen by accident. It followed a familiar path, one Dawn Staley has walked before.

Dawn Staley’s blueprint shapes Joyce Edwards into the Gamecocks’ next star

The pattern is unmistakable. Staley recruits elite talent, brings them off the bench as freshmen, expands their role as sophomores, and watches them dominate. She did it with A’ja Wilson. She did it with Aliyah Boston. She’s doing it again with Joyce Edwards now.

“She’s not a player that should blend in with others,” Staley said of Edwards early in her freshman campaign. “She is a player that is a big playmaker. She’s a small playmaker. She’s someone who is super versatile. You can play her at any given position.”

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Edwards has filled the void left by Chloe Kitts’ ACL tear, stepping into a larger role after South Carolina lost three starters to the 2025 WNBA Draft. Kitts averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds last season while earning SEC Tournament MVP honors. Her absence could have derailed the Gamecocks. Instead, Edwards absorbed the responsibility.

“She (Staley) really emphasizes on me being limitless,” Edwards once revealed.

Point guard Raven Johnson sees the results every day.

“I love when Joyce runs the floor,” Johnson said after beating the Duke Blue Devils. “She runs the floor, she knows the ball is coming. It’s like poetry in motion.”

A’ja Wilson finished her South Carolina career with 2,389 points, a national championship, and the No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick in 2018. Edwards is 49 games into her career. The statistical trajectory suggests she could challenge, if not better, those program records if the pace continues. But this season, a lot of it depends on supporting pieces like Agot Makeer and Madina Okot getting fit in time.

The Gamecocks faithful have seen this story before. They’re watching it unfold again.