USC recruit Joyce Edwards named to prestigious All American team

One of South Carolina’s class of 2024 signees was named to Naismith High School Girls All-America Teams Wednesday, while another got an honorable mention.

No. 2 overall recruit Joyce Edwards received a first-team nod, while No. 12 overall recruit Maddy McDaniel was not included on the first, second or third team but was one of 15 players to receive an honorable mention.

Gamecocks target Sarah Strong also received a first-team nod. The No. 1 overall recruit from Grace Christian Sanford in North Carolina has not announced where she’ll play college basketball next season. Dawn Staley and the rest of USC’s coaching staff went to Strong’s senior night and state championship game last month. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, Duke head coach Kara Lawson and North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart also attended and saw Strong score 30 point to become a three-time state champion.

Edwards and Strong are also on a list of five finalists for the Naismith Trophy for Girls High School Player of the Year, which will be announced Friday.

Edwards, a 6-foot-2 forward at Camden High School in South Carolina, and McDaniel, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland, inked their national letters of intent in November along with 6-foot-5 post player Adhel Tac. Tac enrolled at South Carolina in January after sustaining a season-ending knee injury while playing high school ball at South Grand Praire High School in Texas.

Last year, South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley received a Naismith All-American third-team nod, while Edwards received an honorable mention.

Coach Dawn Staley’s team is 29-0 and starts SEC Tournament play on Friday in Greenville.