In just two seasons, South Carolina senior Madina Okot’s college career is over.
The NCAA on Wednesday morning announced it would not grant Okot an extra year of eligibility, meaning the 6-foot-6 center had exhausted her time in college and will be allowed to be selected by WNBA teams in the league’s upcoming draft.
Advertisement
Okot posted a note on Instagram on Tuesday saying she was “forever grateful,” for her time at South Carolina. Gamecocks assistant coach Khadijah Sessions commented on the post saying, “My girl! Going to miss you down.”
“Early in her basketball career, Madina made courageous choices not just to pursue just the sport, but also to better her life,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said in a statement on Wednesday. “Her path included just a short time with us in Columbia, but we are grateful to be part of her story. She made our team and our sport better.”
Staley had made it known throughout this season that she and South Carolina were petitioning the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility for Okot, who is a native of Kenya.
Per WNBA rules, draft-eligible players who advance to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament have 48 hours after their final collegiate game to decide whether they will enter the draft. Okot and South Carolina could have appealed the NCAA decision, but if the governing body declined again she would likely have to wait a full year for the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Okot started her college career at Mississippi State before joining South Carolina for this past season. Previously, she played at Kaya Tiwi Secondary School and Zetech University in Kenya. In just two seasons, Okot established herself as one of the top post players in the country while competing in the SEC, one of the toughest leagues in the sport.
Advertisement
Last season for the Bulldogs, she ranked fourth nationally in field goal percentage with a 64.9% shooting mark from the floor. This season for the Gamecocks, she averaged 12.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game and ranked third nationally in double-doubles with 22 this season.
While dominant near the basket, Okot has flashed a shooting touch too. She shot 70% from the free throw line and made 13-of-29 3-point attempts this season for a 44.8% shooting clip. Okot was named second-team All-SEC selection and a key piece to South Carolina’s sixth consecutive run to the Final Four.
“We deemed her Big Mama because she’s just so much bigger than everybody else,” Staley said of Okot ahead of South Carolina’s Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma. “She’s so gentle with her speech. She’s a quiet soul. But she has a real thirst to be better, to be great. It’s unfortunate that she hasn’t really had enough basketball experiences to be great. So she’s in a training ground for being great.”
Okot is widely expected to be picked in the WNBA draft. Projections have her being selected anywhere from late in the first round to early in the second.
Advertisement
Without Okot, South Carolina is expected to have depth in the post next season. They’ll return Joyce Edwards and Alicia Tournebize, and get Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins back from injuries.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina’s Madina Okot to enter WNBA Draft after NCAA denies extra eligibility
