That 36.5% clip from mid-range that Chloe Kitts dropped in 2024-25? It’s back, baby, and it’s making Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team a whole different beast to defend. Kitts, a 6-foot-2 forward, is officially returning to the court after tearing her ACL on a rebound in practice last October, and her comeback is a game-changer for a squad that already made it to a second straight national championship game without her.
The Mid-Range Magic They Desperately Missed
Seriously, Kitts brings a kind of mid-range magic that South Carolina’s post players just didn’t have last season. According to CBB Analytics, her 36.5% from mid-range was 3.2% above the Division I average, which is legit. Compare that to Joyce Edwards, who led the team with 19.2 points per game but only hit 30.4% from mid-range, or Madina Okot, who averaged 12.8 points and crushed it from deep at 44.8% from the 3-point line, but struggled from mid-range at 18.4%. You see the gap, right? The national championship game against UCLA showed just how much that missing piece hurt, too. In that tough 79-51 loss, South Carolina shot a dismal 20% from mid-range. Overall, they shot 29%, but with UCLA’s 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts clogging the paint, the Gamecocks could’ve used more action around the elbows instead of forcing it inside. They took only 10 total shots from just inside the 3-point line that day. Kitts is all about those hustle plays, rebounding, and putting in the extra work, like lifting on game days when it wasn’t even mandatory. That kind of drive is exactly what you want back in the lineup.
How Kitts Elevates the Offense
Kitts’ return doesn’t just potentially punish defenses, it straight-up spreads out the offense, especially with Edwards still looking to find success at the rim. Think about it: the farther out Kitts plays, the better the high-low action can get, and it totally prevents those nasty double-teams that clog the paint. But wait, there’s more! Kitts isn’t just a mid-range assassin. She’s also lights-out in the paint, hitting 52.5% on shots that weren’t at the rim, which was a whopping 14.4% above the DI average. And at the rim? She shot 62.3%, 5% higher than the average. This offensive versatility is perfect for Coach Staley’s roster, which is stacked with eight post players, none of whom are true centers but all can play there. This gives South Carolina so much flexibility, especially since Kitts even developed her 3-point shot her junior year. Staley could go with a super-tall lineup, putting Kitts at the wing with any combination of posts inside. But let’s be real, she’s likely taking her starting spot back, playing alongside Edwards and that absolute 3-point phenom Tessa Johnson, who shot 48.2% from behind the arc last year, nearly 18% better than average. Kitts’ presence just adds a much-needed and impactful third layer to that starting lineup, making them incredibly hard to stop.
It’s clear that with Chloe Kitts back, this South Carolina team is geared up to make another deep run. Get ready for some serious basketball because this squad just got a whole lot tougher to guard, and that’s something worth getting hyped for.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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