South Carolina women's basketball: Gamecocks get first 2025 commitment
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Wing Ayla McDowell committed to South Carolina on Thursday, giving the Gamecocks their first commitment of the 2025 class.
McDowell made the announcement during a ceremony at her high school, Cypress Springs. Her other finalists were Georgia Tech, Florida, LSU, TCU, and Mississippi State. She wore a Gamecock t-shirt under her team Brazil warmup jacket and wore black gloves to hide the Gamecock logos on her nails.
“I’m the newest member of Dawn’s Daycare!” she said.
McDowell visited Columbia on October 5 and attended South Carolina’s football game against Ole Miss. She announced following the visit that she was shutting down her recruitment.
Following the visit, McDowell described her visit to On3’s Talia Goodman.
“It was just a great environment,” she said. “I felt loved by the coaches, loved by the players. I got to see everything. I didn’t expect it to be as good as I thought it was going to be, but it’s pretty chill. South Carolina is a good place to be. Everything is very close by and engineering is amazing as well. So, I mean, I just felt loved. I’ve been talking to Dawn [Staley] for some time now, and it’s always a good conversation when we’re on the phone.”
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McDowell is a 6-2 wing from Cypress, TX. She plays for Cy-Fair, who won the Nike national championship in 2024. She is ranked 24th in the class by On3 and 20th by ESPN HoopGurlz.
McDowell competes internationally for Brazil and had a strong showing at the U18 AmeriCup over the summer. She averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds and finished as the second-leading scorer and ninth-leading rebounder in the tournament.
She is a versatile player with a nice mid-range jump shot who finishes well at the rim, although her three-point shooting needs improvement. Her size and athleticism make McDowell a good defender.
McDowell is expected to officially sign with the Gamecocks during the early signing period, which runs from November 13-20.
