South Carolina women’s basketball standout Joyce Edwards has added another prestigious accolade to her growing résumé, this time off the court. The sophomore forward, who was a unanimous All-American selection this past season, has been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American team as a second-team honoree.
Edwards was one of only two sophomores nationwide to receive the distinction, joining UConn’s Sarah Strong, who earned a first-team selection.
Full CSC Academic All-American Teams
First Team: Raegan Beers (Oklahoma), Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt), Azzi Fudd (UConn), Olivia Miles (TCU), Sarah Strong (UConn)
Second Team: Amaya Battle (Minnesota), Joyce Edwards (South Carolina), Avery Koenen (North Dakota State), Gianna Kneepkens (UCLA), Kiki Rice (UCLA)
Third Team: Maggie Doogan (Richmond), Chance Gray (Ohio State), Jenna Guyer (Wisconsin-Green Bay), Jordan Harrison (West Virginia), Grace Van Slooten (Michigan State)
Edwards is enrolled in the University of South Carolina’s Honors College as an environmental science major, maintaining a GPA above 3.7 across both years on campus — a remarkable achievement given the academic demands of her program.
CSC eligibility requires a player to be at least a sophomore academically, carry a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, and have appeared in at least 90% of their team’s games or started at least 66% of them. Edwards met every benchmark comfortably.
Her academic excellence is nothing new. As a freshman, she was recognized on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, signaling that her performance in the classroom has consistently matched her impact on the court.
