The 2024-2025 South Carolina Women's Basketball season will be remembered as one where the Gamecocks went as far as it could. A conference championship, conference tournament championship and national runner-up finish is a dream season for 99.99% of programs in any collegiate sport. Dawn Staley has set the bar so high in Columbia that losing in the National Championship game by 23 to the most storied program in women's sports feels like a let down, even though that's far from reality. South Carolina had the nation's best roster from #1-10, but UConn had a big 3 that will all likely be the top WNBA draft pick from their respective classes. Those three were all playing in synch and at a high level for the last two months. Gamecocks fans can't help from thinking what this year's team would have looked like if had Sarah Strong chose the Gamecocks over the Huskies last spring. Good chance that a fresh shipment of 2024-2025 UConn National Championship t-shirts would be headed oversees at this moment. The last two season's that saw the Gamecocks lose in the Final Four were followed by National Championships. South Carolina is primed for another run in 2025-2026.

South Carolina is losing three seniors that have exhausted eligibility. Te-Hina Paopao, Brea Hall and Sania Feagin. Paopao is projected to late first to early second round pick in the WNBA Draft coming up on April 14th. Sania Feagin is projected to land somewhere in the late second round to early third round. Hall is not projected to be drafted, but based on her postgame comments, its hard not to see her as a success in the next stage on her life. Keep in mind the league expanded to 13 teams this season and will move to 15 in 2026 so more players will get WNBA opportunities.

Carolina has four players that are draft eligible. Raven Johnson, Ashlyn Watkins, Maryam Dauda and Sakima Walker.

Walker played the fewest minutes of any Gamecock. She can return based on her Juco season's now not counting against her. Walker won't factor much into the rotation next season, but she has expressed an interest previously in wanting to get into coaching. She's on a good bench to learn. Dauda will not be drafted and will return unless she opts to seek more playing time elsewhere, (no indication that is her mindset). Watkins will not declare due to the knee injury. While on Watkins, I would not be surprised to see Watkins take a medical-redshirt next season and return for 2025-2026. I have no knowledge of her thought process or timetable for recovery, but it seems from following the game that it takes longer to recover from an ACL injury in the women's game. Regardless, Watkins wouldn't likely return until mid-January next season. Finally, that brings us to Raven Johnson. Johnson has about 30-hours to make her intentions known. She said she has already made her decision and will reveal it on Monday or Tuesday. Raven had been actively recruiting in the transfer portal prior to the Final Four. I would place the likelihood of her return at 70%.

Assuming no key players hit the portal, the last contributing player to do so was Saniya Rivers after cutting down the nets in 2022. Then the Gamecocks will return MiLaysia Fulwiley, Tessa Johnson, Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts, Adhel Tac, and Maddy McDaniel.

At this moment we'd project the starting lineup to be:

Raven Johnson

MilLaysia Fulwiley

Tessa Johnson (or transfer portal)

Chloe Kitts

Joyce Edwards

Staley will also have to replace top game planning assistant Winston Gandy. Gandy accepted the Grand Canyon Head Coach position. The Gamecocks also are bringing in a pair of McDonalds All-American's from the high school ranks in Ayla McDowell (Cypress, Texas) and Agot Makeer (Canada via way of Montverde Academy in Florida). Staley beat out Geno Auriemma and the Huskies for Makeer's services. Makeer, 6'1, and McDowell 6'2 are both wings.

Dawn has preferred to dip her toes in the portal water in year's past rather than cannonball in. In 2024, there were conversations with Kiki Iriafin but she ultimately chose to play for the hometown So Cal Trojans. The Gamecock were also involved with Angel Reece and Aneesah Morrow in prior seasons, but neither made it to Columbia after visiting Baton Rouge.

The Gamecocks' current most likely roster included 12 names, meaning they have three open spots but Staley is not likely to use all of them. There are three categories of players South Carolina will target in the portal, with two of those categories as overlapping. #1. A true post. Tac's recovery took longer than expected- she could be the key to year's roster but that's another column for another day. Staley would like to find a 6'4 or taller post to help Kitts and Edwards on the low block. #2. A veteran guard, this is luxury spot at the moment but would become a necessity if Raven opts for the WNBA. Think Kierra Fletcher- although I'd expect Staley to look for a better shooter than Fletcher after the loss of Paopao. Tessa Johnson is best returning shooter from long range on the roster #3 Too good to pass up. This was Iriafin last season. The hope is that Staley can fill one of the two roles with someone out of his category. There is some star power in the portal - stick with GamecockScoop for all the portal news as we are working our contacts to see what entries Staley has targeted.