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South Carolina women's basketball: Dawn Staley talks about the newest Gamecocks and the story behind a viral commitment video

On3 imageby: Chris Wellbaum9 hours agoChrisWellbaum
South Carolina HC Dawn Staley vs. Texas
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

On Thursday, Dawn Staley talked about her two newest Gamecocks, Kaeli Wynn and Kelsi Andrews, and the viral video of Wynn committing to South Carolina.

A 6-2 forward, Wynn is ranked 22nd by Rivals, 17th by ESPN, and 38th by 24/7.  She plays for powerhouse Mater Dei in Los Angeles, California, and comes from a basketball family. 

Wynn’s mom, Jody, played at Southern Cal (where she was a teammate of Lisa Leslie) and was the head coach at Long Beach and Washington before taking over at Mater Dei. Wynn’s sister Jada has played for Colorado and Texas Tech, and will play this season for UC-Irvine, where their dad Derek is an assistant coach.

Wynn visited South Carolina in September and then made a return visit in October with Jerzy Robinson. She also visited Stanford, her other finalist. Wynn publicly committed on Monday, November 10, and signed on November 12, the first day of the early signing period. 

That’s the short version. The long version includes some misdirection that had Staley completely fooled.

“I mean, we’ve been waiting on Kaeli for over two months, right? That’s one,” Staley said. “Two, the night before, when you’re in this whole recruiting thing… The night before, she was like, ‘Can we talk tomorrow?’ And I swear, I don’t like those ‘Can we talk tomorrow?’ (texts) because they don’t feel good. And it didn’t feel good. So, I’m like, ‘Can we talk tonight? Tell me tonight.’ And she was like, ‘No, we’re at a fundraiser with my team, so, I’ll call you tomorrow.’ And then, I put on our coaches thread, ‘She’s going to Stanford, y’all.’ I felt the energy in the text message. For real, I was really surprised. Like, I did not think she was coming. She just surprised me. And she went through (creative media producer) Jhalen (Wingate), which was pretty cool because I don’t even know how she got Jhalen’s number — probably to get the pictures after her official visit. But I did not (expect that). She surprised me on that one.”

Staley said that although they are all college coaches, she didn’t know Wynn’s parents before the recruiting process started. But she likes signing a coach’s kid.

“I didn’t; people on our staff knew her,” Staley said. “Very great coach. So, I’m sure she’s going to add some stuff to the things that we want to do. She’s got really a good 1-3-1 zone that we’re going to pick her brain on.”

Staley also released a statement on Wednesday after Wynn officially signed. That statement read:

“Coming from a basketball family, Kaeli’s IQ and appreciation for the game’s intricacies add another level to her physical skill set. She has an unbelievable will to win, but her ability to involve everyone on the team and ensure buy-in to the team goals are what separates her from her peers. She is a perfect fit for our program.”

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Andrews’ commitment was far less dramatic. South Carolina began recruiting Andrews in middle school, and she was a longtime Gamecock lean. She liked South Carolina so much that she committed on October 7 and signed on November 12.

At 6-4, Andrews has been listed as both a post and forward by recruiting services. She is ranked 18th overall by HoopGurlz and 30th overall by Rivals/On3. She fits the mold of a modern post: equally comfortable in the low post or stepping out to hit the three. 

“I mean, big-skill big. She can shoot it,” Staley said. “She’s very efficient in the paint. Good basketball mind. Comes from a great basketball AAU program; Raven (Johnson) and Ta’Niya Latson, they all came from the same program. So, you know we’re getting a really good player that’s used to playing great competition and used to winning.”

In her statement released Wednesday, Staley said:

“Kelsi brings a unique combination of size, skill and versatility that perfectly fit how we want to play. Her basketball IQ, defensive presence and resilience make her a special addition to our Gamecock family. And, with her ability to score inside, stretch the floor with her 3-point shot and impact the game on both ends of the court, she has the potential to continue our legacy of elite frontcourt players.”

Andrews has been sidelined for the past three weeks with a torn meniscus.

The November signing period runs through November 19. South Carolina is still looking to add to its signing class.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!