South Carolina HC Dawn Staley sends a warm birthday wish for "freshman phenom" Joyce Edwards on X

It's "freshman phenom" Joyce Edwards' 19th birthday, and South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley is joining in on the celebration. Staley shared a post on X on Thursday morning encouraging others to join her as she wished the freshman forward a happy birthday:

"Hey @GamecockWBB FAMs! Please join me in wishing our very own freshman phenom @JoyceEdwards24 a very happy and healthy and gamecock of a birthday!"

It's hard to believe that Joyce Edwards, who averages 12.4 points per game over an average of 20.7 minutes played is only turning 19. She has become an essential piece to No. 2 South Carolina's success this season and Staley doesn't just save her praise for Edwards for her birthday.

"Joyce plays the right way," Staley said after South Carolina defeated Tennessee on Monday night. "Joyce makes good basketball decisions and that's why you see her flourish."

Dawn Staley thinks Joyce Edwards' potential is sky-high

Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel - Source: Imagn

Joyce Edwards was the No. 2 prospect in the 2024 class and chose to stay in her home state, becoming the highest prospect pickup by the Gamecocks since No. 2 Raven Johnson in the class of 2021. The 6-foot-2 forward picked South Carolina over her other top picks, LSU and Clemson.

Before she arrived in Columbia, Edwards had already acquired some admirable accolades. As a junior, she led Camden High School to a 3A state championship, averaging 28.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and 2.9 assists that year. She also aided Team USA as they picked up the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in the summer of 2023.

Dawn Staley was confident about the No. 2 prospect when she recruited Joyce Johnson to play for the Gamecocks, and she remains confident in her now.

"Joyce is going to be the best player in college basketball one day," Staley said after Monday's win. "I say that only because of her work ethic, and her intellect, and her want."

The freshman forward's first game following her birthday will come on Sunday when South Carolina hosts Auburn in an SEC matchup. The Gamecocks will then head to Georgia before their next ranked contest at No. 5 Texas on Feb. 9. Edwards, who was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Jan. 28, will look to contribute to her Gamecocks in a meaningful way in these upcoming games.

Edwards has stepped up since junior Ashlyn Watkins' season was cut short by a torn ACL in the beginning of January. Since then, Edwards has put up double-digit points in every game, averaging 16.5 points per game in Watkins' absence.

She has really proven herself to be the "freshman phenom" Staley labeled her in her birthday post. There's still a lot of basketball to be played this season for the dominant South Carolina team, and as Edwards enters another year around the sun, she seems ready to further her reputation as one of the top freshmen in the country.