South Carolina women’s basketball players Joyce Edwards and Raven Johnson have been named to the 2026 Naismith Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year Late-Season Watch List, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The Gamecocks are the only team with two athletes among the 15 players recognized, which includes eight representatives from Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools.
The South Carolina team currently leads all NCAA programs in field goal percentage defense and ranks fourth nationally in scoring defense, allowing an average of 56.0 points per game. In matchups against ranked opponents this season, their defense has limited teams to 64.7 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting. Only one opponent has managed to score more than 80 points against South Carolina, needing overtime to do so.
Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards contributes significantly on interior defense, ranking within the SEC’s top 15 for both blocks and steals per game—11th in blocks (1.1 per game) and 12th in steals (1.9 per game). Most of her average of 6.2 rebounds per contest come on the defensive end.
Senior guard Raven Johnson is noted as one of the nation’s leading on-ball defenders. When matched up against the SEC’s top ten scorers, she has held them to just 0.571 points per possession and a field goal percentage of only 25 percent. Ranked opponents shoot four percent lower when she is on the court and average 8.3 fewer points per 100 possessions during her playing time. According to Synergy, Johnson ranks second nationally in defensive impact at 10.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. She leads Gamecock guards with a combined total of 68 blocks and steals this season; nearly two-thirds of her steals result directly in fast break points for South Carolina.
South Carolina, ranked third nationally, will begin its final week of regular-season play at home against Missouri on Thursday, February 26 at Colonial Life Arena with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m., following a senior recognition ceremony at approximately 7:40 p.m.
Fans attending are encouraged to bring canned food donations for collection outside the arena as part of the SEC Food Fight initiative supporting local charities through food drives across conference schools (https://www.secsports.com/article/38918142/sec-food-fight-conference-wide-initiative-supports-local-charities). Additionally, there will be a Teddy Bear Toss at halftime where attendees can donate new stuffed animals without battery packs or boxes.
Updates about South Carolina women’s basketball can be found on GamecocksOnline.com or via their social media accounts (@GamecockWBB).
The full list of players named to the watch list includes Lauren Betts (UCLA), Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Kennedy Cambridge (Ohio State), Jazzy Davidson (Southern Cal), Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), Toby Fournier (Duke), Madison Francis (Mississippi State), MiLaysia Fulwiley (LSU), Rori Harmon (Texas), Jordan Harrison (West Virginia), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Raven Johnson (South Carolina), Ny’Ceara Pryor (Texas A&M), Clara Strack (Kentucky) and Sarah Strong (UConn).
