COLUMBIA — Two years ago Dawn Staley said dunking in women's basketball is getting more common.
"We dunk in our game ... I don't think it's anything new, it's a part of our game," Staley said in January 2024 after South Carolina forward Ashlyn Watkins threw down her second career dunk.
As of April 23, Staley now has three players on her Gamecocks roster who can dunk, as she added 6-foot-3 forward Oliviyah Edwards, the No. 3 overall recruit in the Class of 2026, to join Watkins and Alicia Tournebize.
Edwards most recently had highlight-worthy dunks in the McDonald's All-American Game dunk contest on March 30. The first was with one hand then the second was two-handed that ended with her with her swinging her feet up to touch her ankles to the rim as players screamed in excitement.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts with Joyce Edwards #8 in the game against the TCU Horned Frogs during the fourth quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Chloe Kitts #21 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates after beating the Texas Longhorns 74-57 in the Final Four game of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)Apr 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson (5) celebrates after defeating the UConn Huskies during a semifinal of the Final Four of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesFORT WORTH, TEXAS - DECEMBER 08: Ashlyn Watkins #2 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives against Aaliyah Roberson #23 of the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half in the USLBM Coast to Coast Challenge Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Classic at Dickies Arena on December 08, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)South Carolina Gamecocks guard Agot Makeer (44) celebrates their 62-48 win over the Connecticut Huskies in their NCAA Women's Final Four semifinal game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 3, 2026.Mar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Maddy McDaniel (1) pushes the ball up the court during the first quarter of the game against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn ImagesSACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Alicia Tournebize #31 of the South Carolina Gamecocks brings the ball up the court against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 25: Adhel Tac #15 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores during their game at Colonial Life Arena on January 25, 2026 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)Mar 21, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Ayla McDowell (24) drives against the Southern Jaguars in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images1 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsSACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts with Joyce Edwards #8 in the game against the TCU Horned Frogs during the fourth quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)1 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsSACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts with Joyce Edwards #8 in the game against the TCU Horned Frogs during the fourth quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)2 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsTAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Chloe Kitts #21 of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates after beating the Texas Longhorns 74-57 in the Final Four game of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)3 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsApr 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson (5) celebrates after defeating the UConn Huskies during a semifinal of the Final Four of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images4 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsFORT WORTH, TEXAS - DECEMBER 08: Ashlyn Watkins #2 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives against Aaliyah Roberson #23 of the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half in the USLBM Coast to Coast Challenge Hoopfest Women’s Basketball Classic at Dickies Arena on December 08, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)5 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsSouth Carolina Gamecocks guard Agot Makeer (44) celebrates their 62-48 win over the Connecticut Huskies in their NCAA Women's Final Four semifinal game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 3, 2026.6 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsMar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Maddy McDaniel (1) pushes the ball up the court during the first quarter of the game against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images7 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsSACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Alicia Tournebize #31 of the South Carolina Gamecocks brings the ball up the court against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)8 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsCOLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 25: Adhel Tac #15 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts in the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores during their game at Colonial Life Arena on January 25, 2026 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)9 / 9Dawn Staley's South Carolina women's basketball 2026-27 roster with portal additionsMar 21, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Ayla McDowell (24) drives against the Southern Jaguars in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn ImagesOliviyah Edwards, South Carolina players dunkTournebize, who is 6-foot-7, joined the team in January after playing professionally in France. She threw down both one- and two-handed dunks then but only ever dunked in practice at South Carolina. When asked about the crowd getting excited anytime she gets the ball, she said she understands but never wants to force a dunk.
Given her height advantage there were times she caught the ball around the rim but unlike Watkins, there weren't any wide-open chances for her to dunk on a fast break.
Alicia Tournebize with a one hand dunk during a drill pic.twitter.com/fvaWjWQtGM
Watkins, who is 6-3, has dunked three times in her career and won the McDonald's All-American dunk contest in 2022. Nine women have dunked in an NCAA game, including Watkins. Her first was in 2022 as a freshman against Clemson, the second was in January 2024 as a sophomore against Kentucky and the third was her junior season against TCU in December 2024.
Tennessee legend Candace Parker was the first woman to dunk in a March Madness game, first to win the dunk contest and the first to dunk twice in a tournament game. Former Baylor star Brittney Griner holds the record for most dunks in the Women's NCAA Tournament with six, according to the NCAA record book.
In 2022, Stanford’s Fran Belibi became just the third player in women's college history to dunk in March Madness.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Oliviyah Edwards gives Dawn Staley 3 players who can dunk on roster