South Carolina women's basketball: What Kelsi Andrews' commitment means for the Gamecocks

On Tuesday, Kelsi Andrews became South Carolina’s first commit in the class of 2026. Get to know Andrews and what her commitment means for the Gamecocks.

In a ceremony at IMG Academy on Tuesday afternoon, Andrews announced she would be joining “Dawn’s Daycare.”

“South Carolina just felt right,” Andrews told ESPN. “The people, the culture, and the way they care about you beyond basketball reminded me why I fell in love with the game in the first place.”

Who is Kelsi Andrews?
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. 

South Carolina began recruiting her in middle school, something that mattered when it came time for Andrews to make her decision.

“(Jolette) Law was one of the first coaches to watch me play back in seventh grade, and from that moment, they’ve been consistent ever since,” she told ESPN. “Through both of my ACL tears, Coach Staley never left my side – and that meant everything to me.”

Andrews comes from an athletic background. Her father, Carlos, played football at Alabama, and her mother, Jamilah Johns, played basketball at LSU and Alabama, where she led the Crimson Tide in rebounding as a senior. Her mother is 6-4 like Kelsi, and later became a coach.

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Why should I be excited about her?
Andrews had 12 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks in IMG’s 80-78 win over Montverde at the Chipotle Nationals. That Montverde team featured Gamecock freshman Agot Makeer and Saniyah Hall, the top-ranked prospect in the 2026 class.

Andrews also has a pair of gold medals from playing with USA Basketball. She averaged 6.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and a team-high 1.7 blocks at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Merida, Mexico. In 2024, Andrews averaged 2.4 points and 2.9 rebounds at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup in Leon, Mexico.

Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but both times she was coming off major injuries. The fact that she even made the teams should be applauded.

Are there any concerns?
Andrews has torn both ACLs, the right in 2022 and the left in 2023. That is obviously concerning, and it’s a major reason the one-time top ten prospect has fallen to around 20. 

The good news is that she appears to be fully recovered, and her stock is once again rising. She jumped from 30th to 20th in the last Rivals/On3 rankings. South Carolina clearly believes in Andrews’ upside.

Does this mean South Carolina is out of the running for Olivia Vukosa?
Only Vukosa, the third-ranked overall prospect, can answer that. Vukosa. 6-4 posts don’t grow on trees, so South Carolina would happily bring in two of the top bigs in the class and figure out how to make it work later, as the Gamecocks did with Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso.

If Vukosa goes elsewhere, then South Carolina still feels like it has its big for the future. 

Who could be the next commitment?
None of South Carolina’s remaining targets has announced a decision date. Vukosa is supposed to visit in the coming weeks, as is Lola Lampley (October 16). Brihanna Crittenden, Sara Okeke, and Jerzy Robinson could visit as well. 

Somto Okafor, Sitaya Fagan, Emily McDonald, and Kaeli Wynn have already visited. Fagan is finished with her visits, while the others are keeping quiet.

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