Dawn Staley Gets Disappointing Recruiting News on Saturday
Dawn Staley Gets Disappointing Recruiting News on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Kentucky's class for 2026 picked up a major boost on Saturday when five-star small forward Savvy Swords revealed her commitment to the Wildcats.
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A 6-foot-1 prospect from Glen Head, New York, Swords chose Lexington over a final list that included Notre Dame, Michigan, UCLA and Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks.
Swords arrives as one of the nation's top wings, ranked No. 11 in the class of 2026 by On3 and carrying a reputation for two-way impact that should translate immediately in SEC play under Coach Kenny Brooks.
Shortly after the news broke, Swords took to Instagram to formally announce her decision, posting with the caption, "Big blue business🤍💙Let's work #commited."
Savvy is the younger sister of Michigan's Syla Swords, who is coming off her first season with the Wolverines in which she averaged 16 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals across 33 games.
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She earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament team, second team All-Big Ten and was a Freshman All-American.
Savvy, meanwhile, spent last season with Long Island Lutheran in Glen Head, New York and now joins four-star point guard Maddyn Greenway to give the Wildcats two of the most coveted backcourt and wing recruits in the country.
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley.© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Staley, a four-time Naismith Coach of the Year and three-time NCAA champion, has consistently stocked Columbia with elite talent.
She has won nine SEC regular-season titles, nine SEC tournament crowns and a Final Four berth in each of the last five seasons.
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On Saturday, however, she was dealt a major loss in the recruiting portal.
Related: Dawn Staley Sends Strong Message to Vanessa Bryant on Saturday
Related: Caitlin Clark's Former Coach Makes Big Announcement on Monday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
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