Dawn Staley has reached the mountain top leading the Gamecocks.

She's a three-time NCAA Champion, a nine-time SEC Tournament and Regular Season Champion and a four-time Naismith Coach of the Year.

Staley is a proven winner. She's done it time after time.

Last season, she took the Gamecocks to the national championship, but UConn stopped them in their tracks on the way to cut down the nets.

Nevertheless, Staley has reloaded and is looking to get back there once again. But this year's team is going to look different than the last. That's how it goes.

Now, let's take a look.

The Gamecocks enter this season with a mix of fresh talent and some difficult losses to overcome.

South Carolina sent Bree Hall, Te-Hina Paopao and Sania Feagin all to the WNBA.

Standout guard MiLaysia Fulwiley hit the transfer portal and went to conference rival LSU, adding extra intrigue to a game that is always circled on the calendars of fans.

Ashlyn Watkins, who tore her ACL in January at the start of SEC play, will not play basketball or attend school during the 2025-26 season, according to Staley.

To make matters worse, Chloe Kitts, who won SEC Tournament MVP last season, has also suffered a torn ACL recently and will miss the entire upcoming season.

The head coach knows Kitts is someone who is irreplaceable, and while her injury throws a wrench into things, Staley is confident in who else she has.

"It's not like we're going to ask somebody to be Chloe because that's impossible," Staley said. "We're unafraid to go into the season without Chloe. You're not going to see us skipping a beat. Our players know anytime we sustain any kind of injury, we believe in the system that we put together."

The first player that Staley quickly brought up after discussing Kitts is sophomore forward Joyce Edwards.

Edwards has been a force since coming onto the college basketball scene.

The sophomore was named to the All-SEC First Team last season and won a gold medal with Team USA in the AmeriCup over the summer.

"Joyce is Joyce," Staley said. "Joyce is going to probably take the brunt of it because she's just got more playing experience under us."

It's something Edwards is extremely aware of because the forward knows how much value Kitts brings to the team.

"She contributes something that everybody will have to contribute individually," Edwards said.

But for Edwards, she's accepting the challenge of cleaning up the glass. The sophomore feels that's what best suits her strengths.

"[Chloe Kitts'] rebounding is one of the biggest aspects of her game," Edwards said. "Her effort on the boards can change the game drastically, so I feel like I should step up my rebounding to help this team."

While Edwards has been the first name coming to mind for Staley, she isn't the only one.

Two players from last year's roster — Maryam Dauda and Adhel Tac — didn’t always see significant playing time but have continued to develop under Staley’s system.

Now, they have an opportunity to translate that experience into meaningful minutes.

"All the players on our roster, with the exception of our two transfers and our freshmen, they know what it's about," Staley said. "Maryam is playing extremely well. Much improved. Adhel is playing much improved."

Though the transfers and freshmen have yet to play a game in the garnet and black, they'll be some of the most impactful.

In fact, the most notable being Ta'Niya Latson.

The Florida State transfer averaged the most points in the nation last year with 25.2 per game. She recorded over 2,000 points as a Seminole. Latson is bringing a boatload of talent into the SEC.

Alongside the guard is an in-conference transfer, Madina Okot, who made her way to Columbia from Mississippi State.

The 6-foot-6 center averaged a near double-double as a Bulldog, putting up 11.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Staley also brought in two highly talented freshmen.

Agot Makeer joins the Gamecocks as a five-star. The forward was the No. 6 player in the class of 2025, per ESPN.

She's joined by fellow freshman Ayla McDowell, who also comes in as a five-star. The guard was the No. 15 player in the class of 2025, per ESPN.

That duo will be thrust into the action early on in their collegiate careers.

This team may be a little thinner than years prior, with just 10 available players on the roster, but that doesn't worry Staley.

She has confidence in all of them.

"We believe in the players that we assembled."