No. 30 Recruit Taylor Brown Commits to Dawn Staley and South Carolina

Taylor Brown , the No. 30 overall women's basketball recruit and No. 5 point guard in the 2027 SC Next 100 , on Saturday committed to South Carolina .

Brown chose the Gamecocks over Tennessee and North Carolina after taking an official visit to Columbia in September, giving Dawn Staley a lead guard capable of playing in transition, handling pressure and competing alongside elite talent.

The 5-foot-6 Brown plays for national high-school power Long Island Lutheran, though she has been rehabilitating a knee injury sustained in February. Prior to the injury, she had begun to grow into the traditional true point guard mold, displaying an ability to not just supply the requisite skill but also run a team. She had become a knock-down 3-point shooter as well, creating floor spacing and forcing opponents into tough close-out decisions.

Last summer, Brown averaged 12.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Exodus NYC on the Nike EYBL circuit. Prior to transferring to Long Island Lutheran, Brown attended Ursuline Academy in Delaware, where she earned first-team all-state recognition and helped the school capture a state championship.

When she arrives in Columbia for the 2027-28 season, Brown will be the only true point guard on the roster. The Gamecocks have an average height of a little over 6-2, and they have publicly acknowledged the lack of traditional point guard on the 2026-27 roster. Brown should have a big opportunity to fill a roster hole and contribute with minutes.

Until then, the Gamecocks likely will have a point-guard-by-committee approach with Tessa Johnson , Agot Makeer , Brooke Quarles Daniels and incoming five-star freshman Jerzy Robinson sharing ball-handling and offensive initiation responsibilities.

The Gamecocks have a nationally ranked 2026 recruiting class entering the season -- Robinson is joined by forwards Oliviyah Edwards , Kaeli Wynn , Kelsi Andrews and Justin Loubens -- and will look to win a fourth national championship. They have made it to back-to-back title games since cutting down the nets in 2024, losing to UConn Huskies and UCLA Bruins, respectively.

For the 2027 class, they remain in the mix for five-stars Jezelle Banks and Jordyn Palmer .

_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/50091646/staley-gamecocks-land-commit-no-30-recruit-taylor-brown)._