“I was wiping floors”: Joyce Edwards fondly remembers moments with A’ja Wilson and being South Carolina’s “mop girl”

Joyce Edwards is one of the most talked-about freshman prospects on the South Carolina roster. With the goal of successfully defending their 2024 NCAA championship win, the Gamecocks will be relying on the forward to give her best.

In a video shared by Overtime WBB, Edwards shared that before even committing to the Dawn Staley-coached program last year, the Camden, South Carolina, native worked as a mop girl for the Gamecocks' game at Colonial Life Arena.

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"When I first moved here, I remember wiping the floors at the game," Edwards said. "Crazy! I was wiping the floors at the game being a little mop girl, whatever. It's just crazy how you go from that to getting recruited to committing."

She also spoke about her up-close encounters with former Gamecocks player, A'ja Wilson.

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"But I mean it's crazy to think about it now, I would mop the floor and literally take a picture of A'ja Wilson right after the game," Edwards said. "Like, actually having a conversation with her about USC, about my new transition into USC. It is a full-circle moment and just crazy."

Joyce Edwards committed to South Carolina in November 2023, after watching the Gamecocks take the 114-76 win over No. 19 Maryland. During the game, she got to have a chat with Wilson, which helped her settle into the choice.

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"Me and A'ja had a good conversation at halftime," Edwards said. "All of the returning players there were really cool, but I had a conversation with A'ja specifically, because we play the most similar. She gave me a lot of good advice."

Joyce Edwards reveals the great lengths Dawn Staley went to sign her to the Gamecocks

As much as she is an excellent player, Joyce Edwards' parents, both engineers, placed equal importance on her studies. When the forward was looking to make a decision, she wanted to choose a school with her desired major, environmental engineering.

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“School always comes first. Even in my family, I couldn’t play sports without getting my grades right, and I kind of think my parents just instilled that in me,” she said in April.

The University of South Carolina not carrying that major meant Edwards was looking at other options. But Dawn Staley was not ready to just give it up.

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"That was a big red flag for South Carolina," Edwards said. "They didn’t necessarily have my major and I don’t think I was gonna go there because of that. But (Coach Staley) was working hard to try to figure out a way for me to get the best of both worlds.

"She showed me the honors colleges, which you kind of can create your own major. She was in the meetings with me, asking questions. She was getting it done.”

Joyce Edwards' season with South Carolina began at a great start with the 68-62 win over Michigan. The Gamecocks will next play against Coppin State on Thursday.

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