Dawn Staley Addresses Season-Ending Injury to South Carolina Gamecocks Star
The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team is going to look a lot different at the start of the 2025-26 college basketball season than it did one year before.
While roster turnover is inevitable on any team (especially in college), the Gamecocks graduated several seniors earlier this year, including Bree Hall, Sania Feagin, Te-Hina Paopao, and Sakima Walker. They also lost standout guard MiLaysia Fulwiley to the transfer portal, and she joined Jim Mulkey's LSU Tigers squad.
Legendary head coach Dawn Staley did add Ta'Niya Latson via the transfer portal, which will help offset what she has lost. However, this team is also already dealing with notable injuries before their 2025-26 campaign has commenced.
Earlier this summer, star forward Ashlyn Watkins announced that she'll be missing the entire upcoming season as she continues rehab for the torn ACL she suffered on January 5. And on October 13, senior forward Chloe Kitts made her own disheartening announcement.
Chloe Kitts Reveals Torn ACL Injury
"Thank you to everyone who has reached out with love and support. I recently suffered an ACL tear and, unfortunately, will be out for this season. While this isn't how I hoped my senior season would go, I'm trusting God's timing and purpose. I'll continued to lead, support, and push my team from the sidelines. We have big things ahead!" Kitts wrote in an Instagram post on Monday morning.
Kitts (who made headlines last week when she was spotted wearing a knee brace, which now makes much more sense) has received a lot of support in the wake of this announcement.
Dawn Staley Sends Strong Message Amid Chloe Kitts Injury Announcement
She also received support from her head coach, as Dawn Staley addressed Kitts' injury in an October 13 press release from the school.
“We hate this first for Chloe, who has worked incredibly hard to become the best version of herself on the court this season,” Staley said. “Her teammates are capable of stepping up, and I know that her competitive fire and tenacity will be felt from the sidelines as she pours what she can into them to ensure our team’s success.”
We got you Chloe ❤️https://t.co/xXVkoF5C6R https://t.co/rAP2eV1T80
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) October 13, 2025
With both Kitts and Watkins sidelined (who are their two most experienced post players), South Carolina will need to lean on star sophomore Joyce Edwards, center Madina Okot, and forward Adhel Tac for a lot of their offense down low.
South Carolina is trying to rebound from being blown out by Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and the rest of the UConn Huskies in the 2025 NCAA championship game.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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