South Carolina women's basketball signee forward Joyce Edwards was named the 2023-24 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year on Thursday.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program is one of the most prestigious honors in high school sports, rewarding student-athletes who have demonstrated "athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character."
Edwards has played for six seasons as a member of Camden High School's varsity basketball team, appearing in 162 total contests in her high school career. She averaged 24.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 4.1 steals and 2.6 blocks per game with the Bulldogs.
Edwards led Camden to a second-straight South Carolina High School League 3-A state championship on March 2, where the Bulldogs defeated the Wren High School Hurricanes 44-22. She recorded 27 points, 20 rebounds and six blocks in the title game.
Edwards has been selected for multiple USA Women's National Team Trials and represented her country in the 2023 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup, where her team won a gold medal. She was one of just two high school players at the world cup and was teammates with sophomore forward Chloe Kitts, who is finishing out her second season with South Carolina.
Edwards committed to South Carolina over Clemson and LSU on Nov. 15, 2023, and is the No. 2 prospect in the country, according to ESPN's 2024 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She was also named to the 2024 McDonald's All-American Game and the 2024 USA Women's Nike Hoop Summit Team.