Release by USC
South Carolina women’s basketball seniors Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot were selected in the WNBA Draft 2026 presented by State Street Investment Management PSY Monday night at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City. Johnson was the first Gamecock selected at No. 10 overall by the Indiana Fever. Okot followed in the No. 13 spot, heading to the Atlanta Dream. Latson went in the fifth spot in the second round as the first pick by the Los Angeles Sparks.
At least one Gamecock has been selected in 10 of the last 12 WNBA Drafts, including 13 first-round selections, and South Carolina leads the nation with 15 overall and eight first-round picks since 2020. Under head coach Dawn Staley, four drafts have featured at least three Gamecock selections, including the last two seasons. Three Gamecocks were among the top 10 picks in the 2017 and 2023 drafts, a feat just seven programs have accomplished. In 2023, a total of five Gamecocks were drafted, making South Carolina one of just four programs to have at least that many selections in a single draft.
Johnson drew All-America and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors this season, capping a career that spanned the most successful seasons in program history. Including her injury-shortened freshman season, she has been part of five NCAA Final Fours, including two National Championships and two runner-up finishes, five SEC regular-season championships and three SEC Tournament titles. In her senior season, she turned in career-best numbers with 9.9 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting, including 39.8 percent from 3-point range, and 5.1 assists per game. She was named Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Sacramento Regional 4 after posting 14.0 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting, including 66.7 percent (4-of-6) from 3-point range, to go with 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the weekend to send the Gamecocks back to their sixth-straight Final Four.
Latson finished her outstanding college career by transferring to South Carolina to better prepare her for a WNBA career, and she earned All-America and all-conference status for the fourth-straight season. Ranked among the SEC’s top 20 in six different stats, she was 20th in scoring (14.1 ppg), eighth in field goal percentage (.486), 15th in assists per game (3.6), eighth in free throw percentage (.803), eighth in steals per game (1.7) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1). In her first career NCAA Sweet 16 game, Latson poured in 28 points on 7-of-11 (.636) shooting, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range, and 10-of-10 from the free throw line, while also handing out five assts. Her NCAA Final Four debut a week later featured her first double-double as a Gamecock with 16 points and 11 rebounds against No. 1/1 UConn, en route to Final Four All-Tournament Team recognition.
In just two seasons in the NCAA, Okot became one of the top centers in the nation. In her lone season at South Carolina, she ranked third in the country with 22 double-doubles, 16th in rebounding average (10.6) and 19th in field goal percentage (.575). Okot was an All-SEC Second Team selection and was the Gamecocks’ top rebounder in 29 of her 39 games played, turning in one of the best rebounding seasons in program history. Okot ranks second in the program’s single-season record books in offensive rebounds (149) and third in both total rebounds (412) and defensive rebounds (263). Her 22 double-doubles are the fifth-most in a season in program history as well.