South Carolina Gamecock women's basketball head coach Daw Staley isn't slowing down on the recruiting trail. Although the Gamecocks are busy preparing for the upcoming 2026-27 season, Coach Staley is also staying hot on the recruiting trail.
The Gamecocks are now finalists for one of the nation's top 2027 guards in four-star Kaylor Buse, who is from West Linn, Oreg. South Carolina made the cut for her final five schools, as first reported by On3's Talia Goodman. Her other finalists include TCU, Oregon, Washington and Utah. Per Goodman, She is set to take a visit to South Carolina on Oct. 3, during which the Gamecock football team will host Kentucky at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The Gamecocks are hosting Kaylor the Oct. 3rd weekend and we’ll have to see if distance plays a major factor in her decision. https://t.co/ovoY0Ixqwo
— WNBAGamecocks (@WNBAGamecocks) August 22, 2026
As you can see, South Carolina is the furthest school from her hometown in Oregon.
But Coach Staley has successfully recruited players from far and wide, so the distance may be a non-factor. One of her biggest additions from the transfer portal this offseason was Texas star guard Jordan Lee, who is originally from Stockton, Calif.
Staley also landed five-star recruit Oliviyah Edwards, who was originally signed to go play at Tennessee, who is from Buse's home state of Washington. Freshmen Jerzy Robinson and Kaeli Winn are also from California, and guard Ayla McDowell is from Texas. Two players are from all the way in France, in sophomore Alicia Tournebize and 2026 freshman Justine Loubens.
Buse averaged 15.2 points with 6.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.6 steals per game last season as a junior, adding 1.3 blocks per contest. She has been an all-state player for each of the last two seasons, and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for her travel club, Northwest Select.
In January, Buse made history at her West Linn high school, becoming just the third player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points.
"What sets Kaylor apart isn’t just the number," her high school wrote of her reaching the milestone. "It’s how she earned every point: with relentless effort, fearless leadership at the point guard position, and a work ethic that has defined her since the day she first stepped on the court. Her ability to control the game’s tempo, attack in transition, and elevate everyone around her has made her one of the most dynamic and reliable players in West Linn history."
Although they didn't make her final schools, Buse also received offers from Gonzaga, Oregon State and Stanford.
As Buse narrows down her schools during her official visits, we'll see if she gets any closer to verbally committing. For now though, the Gamecocks are trending in the right direction.
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