Dawn Staley’s transfer portal action has been few and far between, but she is back at it.

After only adding one player to the roster via the transfer portal prior to the 2022-23 season and just two before last year’s National Championship winning campaign, South Carolina women’s basketball finally made its first portal add over two months after the portal opened.

Former Arkansas forward Maryam Dauda committed to South Carolina in the transfer portal over Baylor, giving South Carolina another needed body in the post after Kamilla Cardoso departed for the WNBA.

Dauda has two years of eligibility remaining after missing her entire scheduled freshman campaign due to injury in 2021-22, taking a redshirt before playing in each of the last two seasons.

She appeared in all 35 games for the Razorbacks off the bench in the 2022-23 season, then started all 33 last season. She only averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off the bench, but jumped her total to 10.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. She also more than tripled her blocked shot totals, going from 22 in 2022-23 to 74 last season.

The Bentonville, Ark. native has appeared in three games against South Carolina in her career. She had five points and two rebounds in her only appearance at Colonial Life Arena to date. Arkansas then took on South Carolian in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, where she had eight points in a rebound. Finally last season she made her only start against the Gamecocks, and had one of her best games of the season with 19 points in 31 minutes.

South Carolina now has Dauda along with Ashlyn Watkins, Sania Feagin, Chloe Kitts, Sakima Walker and incoming freshman Joyce Edwards as post players.

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