When Jordan Lee visited South Carolina as a transfer portal target, she arrived with a long list of questions. The list was so long that she phoned head coach Dawn Staley afterward with more.
Staley said Oct. 13 at SEC Basketball Tipoff ’27 at the Hotel Wildemont that this approach fits Lee, a young woman who knows exactly what she wants.
A Tough Decision Backed by Homework
Leaving Texas was not easy for the 6-foot junior guard. She was part of back-to-back Final Four teams there, so she wanted to be thorough before committing to a move.
Her main concern was how her game would carry over. “Just seeing how some of those things that I’ve done well the past two years at Texas were going to translate to her system, that was kind of the biggest one,” Lee said of her many questions for Staley.
Lee also asked about Ta’Niya Latson, who arrived from the portal last season. She wanted Staley’s take on what Latson did well and how she adapted to life with the Gamecocks.
Summer Confirms the Fit
With her questions answered, Lee said playing for Staley this summer has been “awesome.”
“There is something so special in somebody who’s done almost everything that she’s asking me to do, and she’s just the absolute epitome of a player’s coach,” Lee said. “She is very intentional about the things that she asks us to do as well.”
Building Toward the WNBA
Lee has professional aspirations, and Staley said the staff plans to invest in her development and give her more freedom to play in a looser, more fluid style.
“Texas likes to run certain things, and they’re very, very good at it,” Staley said. “You know, maybe there’s another side of that, that she wants to add to her game, and hopefully we can provide that over the next two years to get her to that place where she’s going to hear her name called on WNBA draft day.”
Lee broke out as a sophomore at Texas, putting up 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. She made 34.8% of her 3-point attempts, taking 5.3 per game, and was a key contributor on the Longhorns’ Final Four team.
“High-Performing, Low Maintenance”
Staley described Lee as a “high-performing, low maintenance” player. Little needs to be said to her: Staley can offer a few focused coaching points, and Lee handles the rest.
“She is programmed like that. She needs to know what she needs to do. If you tell her that, you know, she’s going to fulfill that task,” Staley said. “She’s an elite defender – like, elite, elite. What we probably lost in Raven (Johnson), we probably gained a little bit back with Jordan, but we need Jordan to score the basketball as well. The same qualities she gave Texas, we need her to be and probably lean on her a little bit more.”
Bottom Line
Lee’s careful vetting suggests she chose South Carolina with clear expectations, and Staley’s praise shows the feeling is mutual. Her defense helps soften the loss of Raven Johnson, but the Gamecocks also want her scoring and shooting from Texas to carry over. If the plan works, South Carolina gets a steady two-way guard, and Lee gets the development and exposure to chase a spot in the WNBA draft.
