As South Carolina prepares for the 2025–26 season, head coach Dawn Staley faces a crucial turning point. Following key offseason losses, the program is entering a transitional period.
Returning forward Chloe Kitts and transfer center Madina Okot are expected to carry more responsibility, with Staley’s trust in their development set to impact the Gamecocks’ title hopes.
Dawn Staley’s Evolving Strategy Puts Chloe Kitts, Madina Okot in South Carolina Spotlight This Season
South Carolina enters the 2025–26 season at a crossroads, navigating the departure of Ashlyn Watkins and the significant ripple effects it has left throughout the roster. Head coach Dawn Staley now leans heavily on returning senior forward Chloe Kitts and incoming transfer center Madina Okot to carry much of the burden.
Their ability to respond under pressure could determine whether the Gamecocks remain in national title contention or shift toward a period of rebuilding.
With Watkins no longer anchoring the interior, the spotlight turns to Kitts as a likely successor for expanded playing time and greater responsibility.
“Chloe Kitts emerges as perhaps the most obvious candidate to absorb significant portions of Watkins’s playing time,” noted Prime Field in its latest breakdown. “Her game combines fundamental soundness with developing athleticism,” the report added.
Though Kitts cannot replicate Watkins’s elite rebounding or shot-blocking ability, Prime Field emphasized that she “brings different strengths, improved shooting range, better passing ability, and the basketball IQ that comes from years within Staley’s system.”
With these tools, her challenge becomes defensive.
“The question becomes whether she can handle the increased defensive responsibility and interior physicality that Watkins’s absence demands.”
Kitts’s success hinges on personal growth and her ability to build trust and chemistry with the restructured frontcourt. As the analysis stated, “The timing, communication, and trust that develops between frontcourt players often determines defensive effectiveness and offensive efficiency.”
Are Kitts and Okot the Answer to Gamecocks’ Next Championship Push?
Into these recalibration steps, Okot, a 6’6″ transfer from Mississippi State, whose arrival is now central to the team’s interior plans.
Prime Field highlighted her impact, saying, “Her scoring efficiency suggests a player who picks her spots carefully and converts high percentage opportunities, exactly the kind of production South Carolina needs from its interior players.”
Okot’s frame and presence offer South Carolina a potential anchor in the post.
“Her size advantage over most of South Carolina’s returning frontcourt players cannot be understated,” Prime Field noted. Yet, they also raised caution about the adjustment process. “The learning curve for transfers, even talented ones, often extends beyond pure basketball skills.”
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Transitioning to Staley’s system demands a grasp of defensive rotation, rebounding roles, and communication patterns that are unique to her program. Her defensive impact remains uncertain.
“She arrives at South Carolina with the immediate expectation of filling a significant void left by an established star.”
Ultimately, the outcome of South Carolina’s season may not hinge on any single possession or play, but on the adaptability of the entire unit.
“The story of South Carolina’s 2025–26 campaign will be written in how it adapts, evolves, and persists,” Prime Field concluded.
For now, Kitts and Okot stand at the center of that narrative, their growth and adjustment critical to keeping Staley’s powerhouse on track.
