Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks have become one of the best teams year after year in women’s college basketball. Since she took over as the head coach of the program, South Carolina has become a prime destination for recruits and transfer portal players.
Once again during the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season, the Gamecocks were one of the best teams in the nation. They made a run to the national championship, but came up short against UConn.
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As South Carolina and Staley look to get back to the top and win another championship, adding more talent is a must.
On Monday, Staley made a huge addition to the roster. She was able to lock up a key transfer portal target.
According to a report from Talia Goodman of On3 Sports, the Gamecocks have received a transfer commitment from 6-foot-6 junior Madina Okot, who transferred away from Mississippi State.
With this move, South Carolina got a huge height upgrade in the front-court. Okot is also coming off of a strong 2024-25 season with Mississippi State.
South Carolina women’s college basketball head coach Dawn Staley.© Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
During the 2024-25 campaign, Okot averaged 11.3 points per game to go along with 9.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks. She shot 64.9% from the floor as well.
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Hailing from Mumias, Kenya, Okot will become a key part of the 2025-26 season for the Gamecocks. She will have a chance to be one of the most dominant bigs in the country under Staley.
Staley will be looking to improve on her already impressive 475-110 career record while being the head coach at South Carolina. She has also led her teams to three national championships since the 2008-09 season.
Related: South Carolina, Dawn Staley Get Intriguing Transfer Portal Update
