Chloe Kitts Is Back — But Joyce Edwards Could Be the Biggest Beneficiary

Chloe Kitts’ return gives South Carolina something it did not have for most of last season.

A proven frontcourt player who already knows exactly what Dawn Staley expects.

Kitts missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a torn ACL, but she is now back on the court and practicing without a brace.

She recently described herself as feeling “great,” while Staley said it has been good to see Kitts back practicing at full speed.

Her return obviously matters for South Carolina’s frontcourt.

But there could be another player who benefits just as much from having Kitts back.

Joyce Edwards.

Edwards does not need to do everything anymore

Edwards enters the new season as one of the most important players on South Carolina’s roster.

As a sophomore last season, she averaged 19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and established herself as the Gamecocks’ primary offensive threat.

That production came during a season when South Carolina had to deal with major personnel losses and injuries.

Now the circumstances are different.

Kitts is back.

Ashlyn Watkins is also returning after missing last season with a knee injury.

That gives Staley two experienced frontcourt players who can take some of the physical and tactical burden away from Edwards.

And that could allow Edwards to become even more dangerous.

Kitts gives South Carolina another established option

Before her injury, Kitts had already demonstrated that she could contribute without needing the offense built entirely around her.

During the 2024-25 season, she averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

She also brings something that cannot be measured simply by her scoring average.

Experience.

Kitts has played in Staley’s system.

She understands the defensive expectations.

She knows where she is supposed to be offensively.

And according to Staley, that experience has become particularly valuable as South Carolina integrates its newcomers.

That could be extremely important for a roster with seven newcomers.

Joyce Edwards could get better shots

This is where the combination becomes interesting.

When Edwards is South Carolina’s primary interior threat, defenses can load up toward her.

They can bring additional attention into the paint.

They can make her work harder for post touches.

They can force South Carolina’s other players to beat them.

Adding Kitts changes those calculations.

If Kitts is on the floor and playing effectively, a defense cannot simply collapse on Edwards every time she catches the ball.

Kitts can score.

She can rebound.

She can occupy defenders.

She can facilitate from the frontcourt.

And she can make opponents pay when they ignore her.

That creates more space for Edwards.

Kitts’ passing could be just as important as her scoring

One of the more interesting parts of Kitts’ return is what she can do when she does not have the ball.

South Carolina’s offense is entering a new phase after Raven Johnson’s departure.

Dawn Staley has said the Gamecocks will use multiple primary ballhandlers rather than asking one player to replicate Johnson’s role.

The goal is to get the ball moving quickly and allow players to return to their natural positions as scorers, shooters and wings.

That philosophy could work particularly well with Kitts.

She does not have to dominate possessions to influence the game.

She can catch the ball, make a quick decision and move it.

She can attack a mismatch.

She can find Edwards.

She can screen for Edwards.

She can draw a defender away from Edwards.

Sometimes the most important contribution is what happens before the shot.

South Carolina suddenly has multiple frontcourt combinations

Last season, South Carolina had to manage a frontcourt that was missing both Kitts and Watkins.

Now Staley has considerably more flexibility.

She can play Edwards alongside Kitts.

She can use Edwards with Watkins.

She can put Kitts and Watkins together.

She can use smaller lineups depending on the opponent.

And she can rotate players without necessarily asking Edwards to carry the entire frontcourt workload.

That flexibility could become one of the defining characteristics of this team.

Kitts also changes what opponents have to prepare for

Imagine an opponent preparing for South Carolina.

The first obvious question is how to slow Edwards.

That was already difficult.

Now there is another problem.

What happens when Kitts gets the matchup?

What happens when Watkins enters?

What happens when South Carolina puts multiple bigs on the floor?

And what happens if the Gamecocks surround those players with shooters?

Those are different problems from the ones opponents faced last season.

South Carolina does not necessarily need Edwards to become a completely different player.

It can make her more effective by giving defenses more problems to solve.

Kitts’ leadership may matter just as much

There is another reason Kitts’ return could have an impact beyond the box score.

She is already familiar with Staley’s expectations.

That makes her an important bridge between the returning players and the newcomers.

Kitts recently described the new players as eager to learn and said the team has been building chemistry with them.

Staley has also pointed to Kitts and Watkins as experienced post players who understand what South Carolina is trying to accomplish.

That matters on a team with a large group of newcomers.

The freshmen do not have to learn everything from scratch.

They have experienced players around them who already understand the system.

The chemistry with Tessa Johnson is another storyline

Kitts’ return also reunites a trio that has not played together consistently for quite some time.

Kitts, Watkins and Tessa Johnson are all entering their final season as Gamecocks.

Kitts has spoken about how good it feels to be back on the floor with them.

That familiarity could become important as South Carolina tries to establish its identity quickly.

The team has an unusually early exhibition game against College of Charleston, followed by the regular-season opener against Maryland in Paris.

There is not an endless amount of time to develop chemistry.

Having experienced players who already understand one another gives Staley a starting point.

The biggest question is how quickly Kitts returns to game rhythm

The fact that Kitts is practicing without a brace is significant.

But practice is not the same as playing an actual game.

Staley has already indicated that Kitts’ availability for the exhibition would be handled carefully.

That makes sense given how recently she returned from the ACL injury.

South Carolina does not need to rush her.

The bigger objective is getting Kitts ready for the long season.

If she gradually returns to her previous level, her value could become increasingly obvious as the season progresses.

Joyce Edwards could be the player who feels the difference first

The easiest way to measure Kitts’ impact may not be Kitts’ own statistics.

It may be Edwards’ efficiency.

Does Edwards get cleaner post opportunities?

Does she receive the ball in better positions?

Does she have more room to attack?

Does she have more energy late in games?

Does she face fewer double teams?

Those questions could tell us more about Kitts’ impact than her points and rebounds alone.

Because Kitts does not need to take Edwards’ role.

She may simply make Edwards’ role easier.

South Carolina’s frontcourt could become a two-player problem for opponents

Edwards proved last season that she can carry a major offensive workload.

Kitts’ return gives Staley another established player who can operate alongside her.

Watkins adds another layer to that equation.

Suddenly, opponents have to account for multiple frontcourt threats instead of designing their defensive game plan primarily around Edwards.

That could be the biggest benefit of all.

South Carolina does not need Kitts to come back and immediately become a 20-point scorer.

It needs her to be healthy, productive and comfortable enough to force defenses to respect her.

If she can do that, Edwards could have even more freedom.

And that could make South Carolina’s offense look very different from last season.

The return of Chloe Kitts could be bigger than Chloe Kitts’ numbers

Kitts’ comeback is naturally going to attract attention because she missed an entire season.

But the more interesting story may be what her presence does to everyone around her.

She gives Staley another experienced frontcourt option.

She gives the newcomers another veteran to learn from.

She gives South Carolina more lineup combinations.

And perhaps most importantly, she gives Joyce Edwards another player who can draw defensive attention.

That could allow Edwards to spend less time fighting through crowded defenses and more time attacking the opportunities South Carolina creates for her.

Kitts’ return is therefore not simply about adding another player to the roster.

It could change the conditions in which South Carolina’s best scorer operates.

And if that happens, Joyce Edwards could be the biggest beneficiary of all.