As the offseason reshapes women’s college hoops, South Carolina staked its claim with a transfer portal pickup.
Coach Dawn Staley announced that Mississippi State’s 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot will don the garnet and black for the 2025-26 season.
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Okot arrives off a breakout campaign in Starkville, where she averaged 11.3 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game, good for fourth-best in the SEC.
She also led the conference in field goal percentage at 64.9% (fourth nationally).
The announcement was paired with an Instagram reveal, “Look who’s coming to Columbia!”, from @GamecockWBB that pictures Okot alongside Staley, capsizing any doubt that the Gamecocks intend to reload rather than rebuild.
Prior to the NCAA, Okot starred for Zetech University in Kiambu County, Kenya and played for the Kenya FIBA 3×3 Senior Team.
She also became the only African player for the inaugural Women’s World Select Team at the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit.
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“Madina gives our frontcourt additional size and speed,” Staley said. “She has the ability to score, rebound and defend, and her competitiveness and SEC experience are added bonuses. I know the FAMS are going to love watching her play.”
Dawn Staley made an announcement about the team’s future.© Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
South Carolina closed 2024‑25 at 35–3 before UConn handed them an 82–59 defeat in Tampa to cap the Huskies’ 12th national title.
Following a disappointing ending to an otherwise incredible season, Staley is sending a clear message to the rest of the NCAA.
Adding Okot not only replenishes lost size but also signals that under Staley, no roster vacancy goes unfilled, and that Columbia remains a prime destination for elite transfers.
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South Carolina isn’t merely eyeing another Final Four, it’s poised to contend for titles once more.
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Related: Dawn Staley Catches Attention With Transfer Portal Reaction on Monday
