Latest WNBA mock drafts: Three Gamecocks projected as first-rounders
The 2026 WNBA Draft is right around the corner, and three Gamecocks have a shot of being selected in the first round.
Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson and Madina Okot are all projected by national media outlets to be first-round picks in the draft on Monday, April 13. All three were invited to attend the draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.
South Carolina has had 22 players drafted to the WNBA in its program history. Dawn Staley has coached all but four of those players. Last year, three Gamecocks — Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall and Sania Feagin — were all selected in the second round of the draft.
If Johnson, Latson and Okot are all selected in the first round, it will be the third time Staley has produced three first-round selections in a single draft. South Carolina had three first-round picks in 2017 and 2023.
There are three rounds (15 picks each) in the 2026 WNBA Draft. For the second year in a row, the Dallas Wings have the rights to the first overall pick. The Toronto Temp and Portland Fire, the league’s two new expansion teams, will select No. 6 and No. 7 in the first round, respectively.
The draft will be televised at 7 p.m. Monday on ESPN.
Let’s take a look at where South Carolina’s players could be drafted.
Raven Johnson
- ESPN: No. 10 Indiana Fever
- The Athletic: No. 10 Indiana Fever
- CBS Sports: No. 6 Toronto Tempo
- USA Today: No. 9 Washington Mystics
- OnSi (Sports Illustrated): No. 10 Indiana Fever
- Tankathon: No. 11 Washington Mystics
It’s hard to find any player in this year’s class who saw their draft stock rise the way Johnon’s did this year. Last season, Johnson didn’t really have a strong case to be a first-round pick, but this year she’s virtually a lock to be selected in the opening round.
“I don’t think there’s a player in the history of our game that has, over one year, moved up the draft in that way,” Staley said after USC’s title game loss. “She became an All-American. She became a household name. I just think that she’s worked extremely hard, and there’s nothing like an experienced point guard. And Raven fits the bill for, to take any franchise that’s in a losing situation, making them a winner.”
Johnson will bring plenty of experience to whatever franchise selects her. She played in 154 games at South Carolina, went to five Final Fours and won two national titles. Johnson was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year this season and earned All-American honors from the AP and WBCA.
Most mock drafts have her going in the back half of the first round. Three different outlets have Johnson being selected by the Indiana Fever and reuniting with former South Carolina teammate Aliyah Boston. The highest Johnson is projected to go, as of Thursday, is the No. 6 pick by the newly formed Toronto Tempo.
Ta’Niya Latson
- ESPN: No. 13 Atlanta Dream
- The Athletic: No. 8 Golden State Valkyries
- CBS Sports: No. 10 Indiana Fever
- USA Today: No. 7 Portland Fire
- OnSI (Sports Illustrated): No. 12 Connecticut Sun
- Tankathon: No. 7 Portland Fire
Latson — like Johnson, her best friend and former high school teammate — is expected to be a late first-round draft pick on Monday.
There really isn’t a consensus on where Latson might be drafted. USA Today is the highest on Latson, expecting her to be taken by the Portland Fire with the No. 7 pick. Meanwhile, ESPN projects Latson to be taken by the Atlanta Dream with the No. 13 pick in the draft. ESPN’s Michael Voepel believes Latson would be a good fit for the Dream but could also go a few spots higher.
Latson was an All-SEC selection in her lone year with the Gamecocks. Her scoring numbers dropped from a nation-leading 25.2 points per game at Florida State last year to 14.1 this season. Granted, that’s because she wasn’t playing in the same role with the Gamecocks as she was at FSU.
Latson made improvements on defense this season and became more of an all-around offensive player.
Madina Okot
- ESPN: No. 15 Connecticut Sun
- The Athletic: No. 15 Connecticut Sun
- CBS Sports: No. 13 Atlanta Dream
- USA Today: No. 13 Atlanta Dream
- OnSI (Sports Illustrated): No. 13 Atlanta Dream
- Tankathon: No. 13 Atlanta Dream
There was a shot Okot could be returning to South Carolina for another season. Since the NCAA denied USC’s waiver for an extra year of eligibility, she’ll be turning her attention to the pros.
Several outlets have nearly come to a consensus about Okot’s draft location. All signs point toward the 6-foot-6 forward being a late first-round draft pick.
Okot showed signs she could be dominant against the best competition basketball has to offer this year. She was an All-SEC selection and was a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award.
Okot averaged a double-double and led the SEC with 10.6 rebounds per game.
A few outlets think Okot could’ve benefited from another year at the collegiate level but believe she has the tools to be a high-upside WNBA player with a little bit of development.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 12:26 PM.
