“She wants to take the world by storm”: Dawn Staley finds Ayla McDowell worthy of being a team captain “one day”

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was elated after elite prospect Ayla McDowell officially announced her commitment to Gamecocks for the 2025-26 season. The three-time national champion added stock to her hype by pinpointing McDowell as a leader for her side in the years to come.

While addressing the media during a Nov. 13 practice session before South Carolina's first home game of the season, Staley spoke about McDowell's talent, touting her as a future captain of the Gamecocks.

"Ayla, I mean, she’s a great addition. She’s a big, long guard that can score, that can defend. Quality individual. Like, sh*t, she will one day be a captain. She is that put together when it comes to — she wants to be a pro. She wants to take the world by storm and she feels like we’re the best program to put her in that position and we’re incredibly happy to have her."

McDowell is the No. 22 overall prospect in the Class of 2025 per espnW 100. She enjoyed a stellar junior season at Cypress Springs, averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.5 steals, leading the team to the 6A regional semifinals with an impressive 30-3 record.

After choosing South Carolina over Georgia Tech, Florida, Mississippi State, TCU and Kim Mulkey's LSU, McDowell revealed to On3 how Staley and the Gamecocks' approach to make her feel at home during her official visit enticed her to join them.

"I felt loved by the coaches, loved by the players. I got to see everything. I didn’t expect it to be as good as I thought it was going to be, but it’s pretty chill. South Carolina is a good place to be. Everything is very close by and engineering is amazing as well. So, I mean, I just felt loved. I’ve been talking to Dawn [Staley] for some time now, and it’s always a good conversation when we’re on the phone."

Staley and South Carolina begin title defence on a strong note

The reigning national champions have had a great start to the 2024-25 season. They've won their first three games, including a narrow victory over the NC State Wolfpack in a rematch of last season's Final Four matchup.

The Gamecocks also grabbed their first home win over the Coppin State Eagles Nov. 14, and will look to build on that in their next game against the East Carolina Pirates at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 17.