Dawn Staley Addresses Joyce Edwards’ Record Showing vs. Penn State Despite Madina Okot’s Absence

South Carolina star Joyce Edwards led the No. 3 Gamecocks to a dominant 95-55 win over the Penn State Lady Lions on Sunday evening to improve to 10-1 for the season. Edwards registered 29 points, six steals, five assists, four rebounds, and four blocked shots in the game.

Edwards dropped a record-breaking performance, becoming the first Gamecock since Kelly Morrone in 2003 to tally 25 points, five assists, and five steals in one game.

Dawn Staley Lavishes Praise on Record-Breaking Joyce Edwards

During her postgame news conference, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley lavished praise on Edwards’ record-breaking performance and the facets of her game that make her a complete player.

“Joyce is going to play that way with Madina, without Madina,” Staley said. “If this game and a ball is being played, she’s going to play to the best of her ability. She’s just playing really loose and finding a way to impact the game through an entire stat line. We want the rebound to be a little better.”

“But the other stuff, the five assists, no turnovers, six steals, four blocks, that is who she is. I do think we are working with her to just kind of be more than a scorer because she is one that can pretty much fill the stat sheet. It wasn’t at (all) times where she did that. Now she’s aware of it and she’s executing.”

South Carolina was short-handed against Penn State after star Madina Okot missed the game with illness, and Agot Makeer missed her third consecutive game with concussion symptoms.

Edwards stepped up in the duo’s absence and is currently averaging 20.3 points on 58.6% shooting from the floor and 40% shooting from beyond the arc, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists for South Carolina this season.

Okot leads the country with the most double-doubles (seven) and has become a key contributor to the Gamecocks’ roster. During her postgame news conference after the win against the Lady Lions, Edwards revealed that she was under no pressure to recreate Okot’s impact on the team.

“I feel like we all bring value to our team. I didn’t feel any extra pressure to do what she (Okot) usually does,” Edwards said. “I feel like our biggest problem was just rebounding. Collectively, we made that our goal, to just rebound.”

Edwards and Okot have been thrust to the forefront of the Gamecocks’ bid to reclaim the national championship this season after forward Chloe Kitts sustained a season-ending ACL tear, and Ashlyn Watkins took time off this year.