South Carolina women’s basketball had four Gamecocks earn All-America honorable mention honors today. Junior Chloe Kitts and freshman Joyce Edwards were recognized by both the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and the Associated Press (AP), while senior Te-Hina Paopao and sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley received honors from the AP.
This marks the second time in the past three seasons and the third time in program history that four Gamecocks have achieved All-America recognition. Additionally, it extends South Carolina’s streak to 12 consecutive seasons with at least one All-America selection, a tradition that began in 2013-14 with Tiffany Mitchell and Aleighsa Welch, the program’s first honorees under head coach Dawn Staley.
Kitts has been South Carolina’s top rebounder this season, delivering standout performances in recent weeks. Ranking ninth in the SEC with a career-best 7.88 rebounds per game, she increased her production to 8.25 rebounds per SEC contest, placing fourth in the conference. Among her team-high nine double-doubles is a triple-double against Ole Miss (Feb. 27), just the second in program history during an SEC game. Her 16-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist performance in Oxford sparked a dominant five-game stretch, during which she averaged 15.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. This run, which included three consecutive double-doubles, helped propel the Gamecocks to their third straight SEC Tournament title and earned Kitts SEC Tournament MVP honors.
Edwards became just the third Gamecock freshman to earn First-Team All-SEC recognition after leading the team in scoring for much of the season. She averaged 13.2 points per game, including 14.4 in SEC matchups and 12.3 against ranked opponents. She ranks fourth in the SEC in field goal percentage (.550) and 10th in free throw percentage (.777). Edwards has led South Carolina in scoring in a team-high 14 games this season and is also the team leader in double-figure scoring games (24) and 20-point performances (4). She has recorded three double-doubles, including one against a ranked opponent and two in SEC play.
Paopao has been a stabilizing presence for the Gamecocks, particularly early in the season when her leadership and court vision helped the team establish its identity and reassert itself as a contender for SEC and NCAA titles. Averaging 9.8 points per game, she has elevated her performance against ranked opponents, scoring 10.5 points per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field.
As the team’s primary playmaker, Paopao leads the Gamecocks with 3.0 assists per game, a number that increased to 3.44 per SEC contest, placing her 12th in the conference. Her impressive 2.48 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 16th nationally. Alongside enhancing her defensive contributions, she has expanded her offensive game beyond being primarily a three-point shooter. This season, her scoring distribution includes 4.4 points per game from beyond the arc, 3.5 in the paint, and 1.3 from the midrange.
Fulwiley, the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year and a Second-Team All-SEC honoree, continues to captivate audiences, teammates, and coaches with her athleticism and creativity on the court. Throughout the season, she has expanded her impact to the defensive end while also improving her decision-making.
She ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game, with that number rising to 13.4 in SEC matchups and 11.0 against ranked opponents. Her defensive presence also grew during SEC play, where she ranked 10th in the conference with 0.94 blocks per game and ninth with 1.94 steals per contest.
Most recently, Fulwiley secured a spot on the SEC All-Tournament Team, averaging 14.7 points per game while leading the Gamecocks in assists (3.33) and steals (2.67) throughout the tournament.
South Carolina secured the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament’s Birmingham 2 Regional and will host the first and second rounds at Colonial Life Arena this weekend. No. 8 seed Utah will take on No. 9 seed Indiana on Friday, March 21, at 1:30 p.m., followed by the Gamecocks facing No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech at approximately 4 p.m. The winners of those matchups will compete in the second round on Sunday, March 23, with the game time to be determined.
