Two South Carolina women’s basketball stars projected in WNBA Draft mock

The South Carolina women’s basketball program has had six players selected in the first or second round of the last three WNBA Drafts. That trend should continue this spring. This April, once again, the Gamecocks have multiple players who could hear their names called.

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This week, Tankathon’s updated WNBA Draft mock included a pair of Gamecock standouts.

First, the outlet listed guard Te-Hina Paopao as a fit for the No. 13 overall pick. Because of an offseason trade, the Las Vegas Aces now own that pick. If Paopao were to wind up in Vegas, she would be joining a team with two Gamecock legends in A’ja Wilson and Tiffany Mitchell. Paopao’s shooting ability and secondary creation ability would be a perfect fit on the Aces’ roster.

During her two years with South Carolina, Paopao has been an All-American twice. The former Oregon Duck has made a massive impact on the Gamecocks and is one of the top options on a team many consider to be a favorite to repeat as national champs.

Then, just two picks later at No. 15, Tankathon has post player Sania Feagin coming off the board to the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx have really good post players in Napheesa Collier and Alanna Smith. However, a two-way big like Feagin would make a nice addition to any team, including Minnesota.

Feagin waited her turn at South Carolina. She became a starter this season, and following a season-ending injury to Ashlyn Watkins, she stepped up her game even more. She earned defensive All-SEC recognition despite playing out of position at center all year.

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In addition to Paopao and Feagin, one other Gamecock has gotten some WNBA Draft love. Redshirt junior Raven Johnson hasn’t made any public decision about her future, but she is draft-eligible. Some projections have positioned her in the second or third round of this year’s draft. If she decides to go pro, she likely will earn draft selection later in the proceedings. However, with another year in college to showcase a more consistent ability to put the ball in the basket (to go with her elite on-ball defense and strong facilitation skills), her draft stock could improve.

This year’s WNBA Draft will be on April 14th at 7:30 p.m. in New York City. ESPN will broadcast the three-round event, while the ESPN app makes it available for streaming.

For now, though, South Carolina will begin its NCAA Tournament run on Friday. The Gamecocks will play the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at 4:00 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena and on ESPN.