“A Little Bit More Aggressive”: Dawn Staley Wants More From Jordan Lee as Another Gamecock Earns Praise for Her Aggression

South Carolina opened its 2026-27 preseason with a 91-60 exhibition win over College of Charleston on Sept. 27. The game was played outdoors at Credit One Stadium as part of the LinkU Invitational. Dawn Staley approved of the result, but she named one area in which a newcomer could contribute more. Yahoo Sports

That newcomer was Jordan Lee, a junior guard who transferred from Texas. Lee led all newcomers with 15 points and made all four of her three-point attempts. Staley still wanted a higher volume of shots from her. “We’d like Jordy to be probably, she made four threes, even a little bit more aggressive,” Staley told reporters after the game. South Carolina Athletics

Staley contrasted Lee with senior guard Tessa Johnson, whose assertiveness she praised. Johnson scored 23 points and added six rebounds and three assists. Junior forward Joyce Edwards produced more, with 28 points and 16 rebounds. The Post and Courier reported that the two combined for 51 points and guided the newer players through the game. Yahoo Sports Post and Courier

The game did not begin well for South Carolina. College of Charleston held a 20-19 lead after the first quarter, helped by accurate shooting and offensive rebounds. The Gamecocks responded with an 11-2 run to open the second quarter, and four different players scored during that stretch. Staley credited the change to discipline. In her view, any part of the game plan that the team executes with discipline improves the result. South Carolina Athletics

The roster was also incomplete. Staley did not use freshmen Kaeli Wynn, Kelsi Andrews and Jerzy Robinson, sophomore Alicia Tournebize, or fifth-year players Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins. The Post and Courier noted that South Carolina showed a weakness on the boards even with so many post players unavailable. Edwards provided most of the rebounding, so the return of Kitts and Watkins will be an early point of interest. Yahoo Sports Post and Courier

Staley made a similar request of Lee one week earlier. She described the guard as experienced, low maintenance and productive. She also asked Lee to shoot more, and she attributed the current hesitation to the adjustment period that follows a transfer. Staley said the staff does not want Lee to overthink her role or to change the way she plays naturally. In her words, Lee should take the shots and become comfortable doing so.

The numbers support that view. Lee made every three-point attempt in her first game for the program, yet she did not lead the team in scoring. She tied Johnson and Agot Makeer for the team lead with three assists. Her shot selection was accurate, and the open question is how often she will take those shots once games count. South Carolina Athletics

South Carolina hosts Benedict in a second exhibition on Oct. 23 at Colonial Life Arena, then opens the regular season against Maryland on Nov. 2 at Oui Play in Paris. South Carolina Athletics

The source article states that the Maryland game will be in Columbia. The South Carolina athletics release lists Paris as the location, so I used that. I also added the box score details, the first-quarter deficit and the list of unavailable players. Let me know if you want this in a file, a different length, or with an added SEO title and meta description.