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COLUMBIA — South Carolina women's basketball had the second-bestrecruiting class for the 2026 cycle, which set a high bar for coach Dawn Staley to meet in 2027.
Staley was putting the finishing touches on her 2026-27 roster while also looking ahead in the future, which won't stop anytime soon. She's in peak double-duty season, as she's recruiting high schoolers during the spring and summer with many committing by early fall.
She'll be without star forwards Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins and 3-point phenom Tessa Johnson after the 2026-27 season.
Three top 25 players in the 2027 ESPN recruiting rankings have committed: No. 3 Caroline Bradley to LSU, No. 4 Eve Long to Notre Dame and No. 13 Ogechi Okeke to Baylor.
South Carolina will likely host several 2027 players on official visits across the summer, but here's a look at who Staley is recruiting ahead of June.
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka is a 6-foot-2 wing/small forward from Potomac, Maryland, and plays for The Bullis School. She's a five-star recruit ranked No. 2 in the 2027 class.
On3 reported Staley was at a tournament in Pennsylvania April 18 watching her, and in January, she saw Wilson Manyacka's high school play at the Hoophall Classic Classic in Massachusetts.
After her junior season, Wilson Manyacka was named MaxPreps Maryland High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She averaged 21.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game.
In August 2024, she posted on X that she received an offer from South Carolina.
Kaleena Smith is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2027. The five-star 5-6 point guard plays for Ontario Christian High School in California, and was just named the Gatorade Player of the Year for her state.
She averaged 32.1 points, seven assists, 4.6 steals and 3.6 rebounds as a junior.
LSU hosted Smith on a visit in February, and she was in attendance for the Gamecocks' win over the Tigers on Feb. 14 in Baton Rouge. She took an unofficial visit to Southern Cal in November, right before South Carolina beat the Trojans in Los Angeles.
She's also taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, UCLA, Arizona State, in addition to official visits to Cal and Syracuse. Before the Gamecocks played UCLA in November 2024, Staley was at Smith's high school game in California. She's also seen her play AAU multiple times.
Jezelle "GG" Banks is a 5-10 five-star point guard and the No. 5 ranked recruit.
Staley saw her play in December at the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C. Back in July 2023, she first received an offer from South Carolina and as of July 2025, she was still interested in South Carolina, according to On3.
She's from Wilmington, Delaware, and started high school at Ursuline Academy but now plays for St. James Performance Academy. She was the 2024-25 Gatorade Delaware Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 21.7 points and 4.8 assists as a sophomore.
As a junior she averaged 14.3 points and 5.4 assists.
Jordyn Palmer is a 6-1 five-star wing and the No. 7 ranked recruit. The five-star player is from Oxford, Pennsylvania and plays for Westtown School.
Palmer is this year's Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 23.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3.3 steals per game her junior season.
Staley saw Palmer and Wilson-Manyacka battle at the Hoophall Classic Classic and as of July 2025, she's still interested in the Gamecocks according to On3.
Micah Ojo is the No. 8 ranked recruit and is a five-star 6-1 wing. She plays for Princess Anne High School in Virginia and averaged 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assist and 2.7 steals as a junior, winning the Gatorade POY award for Virginia.
She posted May 3, 2025, that she got an offer from South Carolina.
Sydney Savoury, the No. 9 ranked recruit, got an offer from South Carolina last July.
She's a five star, 5-11 guard from Michigan and averaged 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Belleville High School as a junior.
Avery Arije, a five-star 6-foot wing who is ranked 16th, has South Carolina in her top six. She wrote on Instagram May 9 that she has offers from over 20 schools but she's most interested in UCLA, South Carolina, UConn, Southern Cal, Texas and Tennessee.
She plays for Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto, Ontario, which is where current Gamecocks guard Agot Makeer is from.
Zaniya Johnson, the 14th ranked recruit, got an offer from South Carolina last August. She's a five-star, 6-4 forward from Mississippi and plays for Biloxi High School.
She averaged 14.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as a junior.
Taylor Brown, a four-star 5-6 guard and the No. 20 ranked, recruit posted on X on May 21 that she has an offer from South Carolina.
She's from Belmar, New Jersey, and plays for Long Island Lutheran High School. She scored 20 points with eight assists and four rebounds against Gamecocks signee Jerzy Robinson at the Hoophall Classic but then had a season-ending injury in February.
Sydney Mobley, a four-star 6-1 forward from Ohio, had South Carolina in her top 12 schools as of October.
She's the No. 22 ranked recruit and plays for Big Walnut High School, where she averaged 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals as a junior to earn Ohio Gatorade POY.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley recruiting targets for South Carolina basketball in 2027
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Staley was putting the finishing touches on her 2026-27 roster while also looking ahead in the future, which won't stop anytime soon. She's in peak double-duty season, as she's recruiting high schoolers during the spring and summer with many committing by early fall.
She'll be without star forwards Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins and 3-point phenom Tessa Johnson after the 2026-27 season.
Three top 25 players in the 2027 ESPN recruiting rankings have committed: No. 3 Caroline Bradley to LSU, No. 4 Eve Long to Notre Dame and No. 13 Ogechi Okeke to Baylor.
South Carolina will likely host several 2027 players on official visits across the summer, but here's a look at who Staley is recruiting ahead of June.
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka
Ivanna Wilson Manyacka is a 6-foot-2 wing/small forward from Potomac, Maryland, and plays for The Bullis School. She's a five-star recruit ranked No. 2 in the 2027 class.
On3 reported Staley was at a tournament in Pennsylvania April 18 watching her, and in January, she saw Wilson Manyacka's high school play at the Hoophall Classic Classic in Massachusetts.
After her junior season, Wilson Manyacka was named MaxPreps Maryland High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She averaged 21.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game.
In August 2024, she posted on X that she received an offer from South Carolina.
Kaleena Smith
Kaleena Smith is the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2027. The five-star 5-6 point guard plays for Ontario Christian High School in California, and was just named the Gatorade Player of the Year for her state.
She averaged 32.1 points, seven assists, 4.6 steals and 3.6 rebounds as a junior.
LSU hosted Smith on a visit in February, and she was in attendance for the Gamecocks' win over the Tigers on Feb. 14 in Baton Rouge. She took an unofficial visit to Southern Cal in November, right before South Carolina beat the Trojans in Los Angeles.
She's also taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, UCLA, Arizona State, in addition to official visits to Cal and Syracuse. Before the Gamecocks played UCLA in November 2024, Staley was at Smith's high school game in California. She's also seen her play AAU multiple times.
Jezelle 'GG' Banks
Jezelle "GG" Banks is a 5-10 five-star point guard and the No. 5 ranked recruit.
Staley saw her play in December at the She Got Game Classic in Washington, D.C. Back in July 2023, she first received an offer from South Carolina and as of July 2025, she was still interested in South Carolina, according to On3.
She's from Wilmington, Delaware, and started high school at Ursuline Academy but now plays for St. James Performance Academy. She was the 2024-25 Gatorade Delaware Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 21.7 points and 4.8 assists as a sophomore.
As a junior she averaged 14.3 points and 5.4 assists.
Jordyn Palmer
Jordyn Palmer is a 6-1 five-star wing and the No. 7 ranked recruit. The five-star player is from Oxford, Pennsylvania and plays for Westtown School.
Palmer is this year's Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 23.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3.3 steals per game her junior season.
Staley saw Palmer and Wilson-Manyacka battle at the Hoophall Classic Classic and as of July 2025, she's still interested in the Gamecocks according to On3.
Micah Ojo
Micah Ojo is the No. 8 ranked recruit and is a five-star 6-1 wing. She plays for Princess Anne High School in Virginia and averaged 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assist and 2.7 steals as a junior, winning the Gatorade POY award for Virginia.
She posted May 3, 2025, that she got an offer from South Carolina.
Sydney Savoury
Sydney Savoury, the No. 9 ranked recruit, got an offer from South Carolina last July.
She's a five star, 5-11 guard from Michigan and averaged 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Belleville High School as a junior.
Avery Arije
Avery Arije, a five-star 6-foot wing who is ranked 16th, has South Carolina in her top six. She wrote on Instagram May 9 that she has offers from over 20 schools but she's most interested in UCLA, South Carolina, UConn, Southern Cal, Texas and Tennessee.
She plays for Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto, Ontario, which is where current Gamecocks guard Agot Makeer is from.
Zaniya Johnson
Zaniya Johnson, the 14th ranked recruit, got an offer from South Carolina last August. She's a five-star, 6-4 forward from Mississippi and plays for Biloxi High School.
She averaged 14.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as a junior.
Taylor 'Tay' Brown
Taylor Brown, a four-star 5-6 guard and the No. 20 ranked, recruit posted on X on May 21 that she has an offer from South Carolina.
She's from Belmar, New Jersey, and plays for Long Island Lutheran High School. She scored 20 points with eight assists and four rebounds against Gamecocks signee Jerzy Robinson at the Hoophall Classic but then had a season-ending injury in February.
Sydney Mobley
Sydney Mobley, a four-star 6-1 forward from Ohio, had South Carolina in her top 12 schools as of October.
She's the No. 22 ranked recruit and plays for Big Walnut High School, where she averaged 20.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals as a junior to earn Ohio Gatorade POY.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley recruiting targets for South Carolina basketball in 2027
Continue reading...
