Jordan Lee adjusting to new home with South Carolina women’s basketball

The last time Jordan Lee saw garnet and black on the basketball court, she was on the other side of the rivalry, lifting the SEC Championship trophy with Texas. Now, just six months later, Lee is wearing South Carolina’s colors and preparing for a new challenge: helping the Gamecocks climb back to the top of the SEC and the national women’s basketball landscape.

For Lee, the basketball transition is only part of the adjustment.

There is also the heat.

The California native grew up accustomed to plenty of sunshine, but Columbia’s humidity has provided an entirely different kind of welcome. South Carolina has long been known for its heat, and Lee quickly discovered that the nickname “Famously Hot” was not simply promotional material.

“It’s been great,” Lee said. “Besides the heat, it’s truly been amazing … Humidity way, way unexpected.”

Still, the early returns on life in Columbia have been positive.

From Texas success to a new beginning

Lee spent two seasons with the Texas Longhorns before joining South Carolina in June. During her time in Austin, the junior guard helped Texas reach the Final Four twice and played a role in the program’s run to the 2026 SEC Tournament Championship.

She averaged 9.5 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds per game during her sophomore season.

Her production also carried into the NCAA Tournament. Lee earned a spot on the NCAA Fort Worth Region 3 All-Tournament Team, adding another accomplishment to a résumé that already included All-SEC Freshman honors in 2024-25 and two gold medals with USA Basketball.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley sees a player who already understands what it takes to compete at the highest level.

“She’s seasoned,” Staley said of Lee. “She is really low maintenance, high performing. I like to describe people like that.”

That experience could prove especially valuable for a South Carolina team incorporating a large group of newcomers.

Learning a new system

Rather than trying to force her way into the spotlight immediately, Lee has spent the early portion of her South Carolina career doing something simpler: learning.

The Gamecocks brought in six new players ahead of the 2026-27 season, creating plenty of moving pieces as teammates learn one another’s habits, tendencies and personalities.

Lee said she has approached that process by staying observant and absorbing as much as possible.

“Just try to be a sponge and learn,” Lee said. “Watch everybody and, you know, there’s a lot of new people, so just taking the time to mesh and get to know each other.”

That adjustment extends beyond the playbook. Every new player has to learn where teammates want the ball, how they communicate defensively and when to attack versus when to slow things down.

For Lee, it is about finding that rhythm without losing the instincts that made her successful at Texas.

Staley wants Lee to shoot more

One of the clearest areas South Carolina wants Lee to develop is her willingness to shoot.

Lee connected on 34% of her three-point attempts during her sophomore season and owns a 36.3% career mark from three-point range. Those numbers suggest she has the ability to stretch the floor, but Staley wants her to trust that ability more consistently.

The message from the Hall of Fame coach is straightforward: don’t overthink it.

“I think she’s just trying to acclimate and get used to everything,” Staley said. “But we don’t really want to take what you naturally do. We don’t want this to be, you know, overthinking things. Take the shots … put the ball up.”

That freedom could be important as Lee becomes more comfortable in South Carolina’s system.

Rather than asking her to completely reshape her game, Staley wants Lee to recognize the opportunities already in front of her and play with confidence.

More than just a shooter

Lee’s goals extend beyond becoming a more aggressive perimeter threat.

The junior guard also entered the South Carolina program hoping to become a stronger playmaker. With Staley and her staff working to put her in situations where she can develop that part of her game, Lee has an opportunity to expand her role.

But Staley expects her impact to stretch across the floor.

“She’s going to defend, she’s going to put up big shots for us,” Staley said. “She’s going to play-make for us.”

Perhaps most importantly, Lee brings an element of speed that South Carolina believes it needs.

Staley specifically pointed to Raven Johnson, whose departure left the Gamecocks without a familiar source of pace and athleticism.

“Speed-wise, I mean, she gives us an element of speed that we lost in someone like Raven [Johnson],” Staley said. “So, looking forward to having her. Glad she chose us.”

That combination — shooting, playmaking, defense and speed — could allow Lee to become one of the more versatile pieces in South Carolina’s revamped rotation.

A fresh chapter in Columbia

There is still plenty for Lee to learn.

She is adapting to a new city, a new system, new teammates and new expectations after spending the first two seasons of her college career at Texas. The humidity may have been an unexpected opponent, but the bigger challenge is learning how to make an immediate impact without rushing the process.

For now, Lee appears comfortable taking it one day at a time.

She knows what winning looks like. She has played on the biggest stages, won an SEC championship and competed in the Final Four. Now, she is trying to bring those experiences with her as South Carolina builds toward another championship run.

The garnet and black may look different when Lee steps onto the court this season, but the objective remains familiar: compete, improve and win.

For Jordan Lee, the next chapter of her Jordan Lee South Carolina women’s basketball transition is already underway.