South Carolina women's basketball portal commitment called top transfer addition this cycle

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley isn’t the type of coach who flips her entire roster with the transfer portal. However, the three-time national championship-winner knows how to push the right portal buttons for the Gamecocks. Recent star players like Kamilla Cardoso, Te-Hina Paopao, Ta’Niya Latson, and Madina Okot were all transfer additions who then played huge roles at USC.

It seems like Staley has done it again this cycle, as former Texas Longhorn wing Jordan Lee signed with South Carolina out of the portal.

In fact, according to The Athletic writer Chantel Jennings, the move was the best of this offseason’s transfer portal additions.

Jennings listed Lee as the best fit among all transfer portal additions, calling it a “perfect situation for both parties.”

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The ranking makes sense. Lee, an athletic, two-way wing, joins a Gamecock team replacing two senior guards in Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson.

Lee isn’t a point guard like Johnson. Even so, she perfectly fits the mold of the type of player Staley said she would go after this offseason. Before the 2025-2026 season ended, she remarked that she wanted to make sure to replace the perimeter athleticism her team would lose with Johnson and Latson heading to the WNBA.

The 6-foot guard spent two seasons at Texas and was a strong, multi-positional defender. She also averaged 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore. For her career, she is a 36.3% shooter from the 3-point line. Though they are not the same style of player, the statistical production is near to what Latson provided this year.

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South Carolina’s roster will once again be loaded. It is also a little fuller than in most years.

In the backcourt with Lee, the Gamecocks return All-SEC wing Tessa Johnson, promising sophomore Agot Makeer, junior point guard Maddy McDaniel, and wing/small-ball forward Ayla McDowell and bring in five-star guard Jerzy Robinson and four-star wing/small-ball forward Kaeli Wynn.

In the front court, Carolina brings back All-American forwards Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts, All-SEC post player Ashlyn Watkins, 6-7 sophomore Alicia Tournebize, and post player Adhel Tac and signed five-star athlete Oliviyah Edwards and four-star post player Kelsi Andrews.

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