South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts (ACL tear) will miss 2025 season

South Carolina women’s basketball senior starting forward Chloe Kitts will miss the 2025-26 season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, the school announced Monday. She is expected to have surgery this week.

The 6-foot-2 Kitts started the last two seasons for the Gamecocks, who won the national championship in 2024 and fell in the NCAA finals last year to UConn.

Kitts started 38 games last season, averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. She was MVP of the SEC tournament and the Birmingham 2 Regional. As a sophomore, Kitts started 31 games, averaging 9.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.

“We hate this first time for Chloe, who has worked incredibly hard to become the best version of herself on the court this season,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. “Her teammates are capable of stepping up, and I know her competitive spirit and tenacity will be felt from the sidelines as she does everything she can to ensure our team’s success.”

Kitts is expected to be a first-round pick in next spring’s WNBA draft. She could still enter the draft or choose to return for another college season.

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us with love and support,” Kitts wrote in an Instagram post. “Even though this isn’t how I expected my senior season to go, I trust in God’s timing and purpose. I will continue to lead, support and push my team from the sidelines. We have big things to come!”