COLUMBIA — South Carolina women's basketball commitments Madisen McDaniel and Adhel Tac signed with the Gamecocks on the first day of the early signing period Wednesday.

McDaniel, a 5-foot-9 point guard from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was South Carolina's first commitment in the class of 2024. She is the No. 12 prospect in the country and the no. 3 point guard in ESPN's HoopGurlz rankings. She is the Gamecocks' highest-rated commitment since signing No. 2 prospect Raven Johnson — also the No. 1 point guard — in the Class of 2021.

The five-star guard averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 steals and 4.3 rebounds per game in her junior season at Bishop McNamara.

"I love a point guard who plays to make others better without sacrificing her own talent as a playmaker; and Madisen is that,” coach Dawn Staley said in a school release. “She has court vision and the ability shoot and get to the rim, but what sets her apart is that she makes good decisions in the moment and has team success as her top priority. Madisen has been well coached and played at an elite level, so I know that she fits our culture and that the (fans) will love to watch her play.”

The Gamecocks also signed 6-5 center Adhel Tac, a four-star prospect from Grand Prairie, Texas. Tac, who once ranked as high as No. 12, is the No. 33 recruit in the class after she missed most of her junior season at South Grand Prairie with an undisclosed season-ending injury. She averaged 14.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game as a sophomore in 2021-22.

Tac is the first top-100 prospect that Staley has signed out of Texas since No. 2 prospect Kelsey Bone in the class of 2009.

“Adhel’s interior presence and high motor allow her to impact the game in some many ways,” Staley said. “She is more than a gifted basketball player, though; she is an exceptional person who we look forward to having in Columbia. I know the (fans) will fall in love with her, too.”

South Carolina's 2024 class may not be complete with two high-priority targets still uncommitted. No. 2 prospect Joyce Edwards, a Camden native, is the highest-rated player out of South Carolina since A'ja Wilson was No. 1 in 2014. Staley has signed all five of the state's top-35 prospects since 2014 and six of nine since she took over the program in 2008.

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The 6-2 forward averaged 28.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.9 assists in her junior season, leading Camden to the 3A state championship. Edwards also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer alongside Gamecocks sophomore Chloe Kitts.

The Gamecocks also hosted 6-1 wing Kennedy Smith of Etiwanda, California, the No. 6 player in the class, for an official visit in October. She will choose from a top five that also includes Duke, Louisville, Southern California and UCLA. Smith led her high school team to its first state championship in program history as a junior, averaging 24.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.5 steals.

Follow South Carolina women's basketball reporter Emily Adams on X @eaadams6 and subscribe to The Greenville News for exclusive Gamecocks content: https://subscribe.greenvilleonline.com/offers.

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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: What Dawn Staley said about South Carolina basketball's 2024 signees