At SEC Media Days, South Carolina women's basketball players Joyce Edwards, Tessa Johnson, and Ta'Niya Latson reflected on leadership, lessons from last season's championship run, and the team's mindset after losing Chloe Kitts for the season. Their focus is on filling the gap together and keeping the Gamecocks standard high.
With star forward Chloe Kitts sidelined for the 2025-26 season, several South Carolina players are already stepping into larger roles. Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards said the loss of Kitts doesn't just fall on one person but on everyone. “It puts more pressure on the team,” Edwards said. “She contributes something that everybody will have to contribute individually. So as a team, you have to come together collectively and fill the gap that she normally fills.”
She was quick to add that no one is special to " replace Chloe Kitts as a whole," but that each player will carry a small piece of the load, a sentiment that echoes Dawn Staley's message of trust and balance within the team.
Junior guard Tessa Johnson, affectionately known as "Tournament Tessa" for her breakout NCAA Tournament run, is focused on consistency this season. “Both,” she said when asked if she liked the nickname. “I liked it when it was there…it’s going to be a whole-year thing. I need to be more consistent with my role and being a leader.”
Johnson also reflected on last year's national championship game loss, saying she's channeling the pain into fuel. “Losing was hard and I was boiling on it a little bit,” she admitted. “But I had people in my ear telling me, ‘You got there.’ Only two teams get to the last game, so I’m switching my mindset to that… I don’t want to ever have that feeling ever again.”
For Ta'Niya Latson, one of the team's most anticipated transfers, the biggest adjustment for her coming from Florida State has been the Gamecocks' level of detail and intensity. She spoke about the attention to detail with everything the team does. “Coaches are preparing us for the next level. She’s challenging us both on defense and offense.”
As head coach Dawn Staley's program reloads for the season, the message from her players is crystal clear: Sout Carolina recalibrates. Every voice, from veteran to newcomer, is locked in on maintaining the championship culture that defines the program.