What is Joyce Edwards' major in college? South Carolina forward's academic background explored

Joyce Edwards is a star for South Carolina, but when she's not dominating on the court, she's busy in the classroom. The freshman phenom is majoring in environmental engineering.

The story of Edwards' college studies is an interesting one. A strong student in high school, her engineer parents prioritized her receiving a top-tier college education. Head coach Dawn Staley was aware of this as she recruited the forward.

“You have someone like a Joyce Edwards who loves South Carolina basketball, but had parents who were engineers,’’ Staley said (per The State). “They knew what type of education they wanted their child to have and they weren’t going to settle (for less). That was a nonnegotiable when it came to what kind of education Joyce would get.’’

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However, Staley faced an issue — South Carolina didn't offer an environmental engineering degree. Undeterred, she and the rest of the Gamecocks coaching staff worked with the University's "Build Your Own Major" program to craft the perfect program for Edwards. This persuaded the young star to choose South Carolina, and the rest is history.

Joyce Edwards' Freshman Season at South Carolina

Joyce Edwards has excelled in her first season with the Gamecocks. She leads the team with 12.7 points per game and also contributes 5.0 rebounds. The freshman is shooting 53.5% from the field and has proven to be a two-way force, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

The young forward has played in every game for South Carolina this season and has been an essential piece of the squad's postseason success. Coming into Sunday's national title game, Edwards was playing 20.8 minutes per game this postseason, averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.

Edwards put up her best postseason performance thus far in the Final Four win over Texas. She had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. She added six assists and led South Carolina in both rebounds and assists. Staley reflected on how the squad has relied on Edwards.

"When she doesn't get her average (PPG), when she doesn't fly around out there, we feel it," Staley said.

Edwards will aim to continue aiding the Gamecocks as they look to two-peat in Sunday's national title game.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by nagpaltusharn25