​COLUMBIA — Maddy McDaniel, South Carolina women’s basketball’s lone true point guard on the 2026-27 roster, is taking time away from the program, she announced on social media July 16.”Every athlete knows that mental strength is as valuable as their physical strength. It just doesn’t announce itself in the same way when it needs attention … still, it’s time for me to acknowledge it. I’ve tried to just keep going but right now I’m not giving my coaches, my teammates and the Fams the best version of myself that they deserve. So I’ve decided to step away from the team to focus on my mental and emotional well-being, to get back to my best self on all levels,” McDaniel wrote in a post online.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt is unclear what this means for McDaniel in terms of a timeline or return, as her post did not say if it was for a set period of time. The team is in the middle of summer practices but doesn’t open the season until Nov. 2.”It is the strongest thing I can think of to do because of what being part of Gamecock women’s basketball means to me,” McDaniel wrote. “I appreciate everyone who has supported me and I will be working hard to get back to the person who has earned that.”The 5-foot-9 guard was on pace for a major role change this season, presumably filling the shoes of former star point guard Raven Johnson, who is now in the WNBA after five years with coach Dawn Staley.1 / 45Maddy McDaniel #1 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives to the basket against Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins during the third quarter in the National Championship of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)In her sophomore season, McDaniel averaged 4.3 points, 2.7 assists and 19.7 minutes off the bench, increasing her 3-point attempts from 13 in 2024-25 to 33 and her percentage from 23.1% to 33.3%.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn 13 of the 17 games in which she played more than 20 minutes, she had one or no turnovers.Staley has a loaded 15-person roster heading into 2026-27 with a lot more depth at the post position than the guard spot. Not only was McDaniel the only true point guard, but she was only one of six guards.Nearly one year ago, forward Ashlyn Watkins announced she was taking time away from the program for mental health reasons. Watkins sat out all of last year but has returned, joining the team for this year’s preseason summer workouts ahead of her senior season.Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Key guard Maddy McDaniel stepping away from South Carolina, Dawn Staley program