Sunday night's Women's National Championship game was filled with thrills, but also heartbreak after the South Carolina Gamecocks fell short of winning back-to-back National Championships. These situations are hard, especially for players who know they are playing their last college games before moving on to the next phase of their journey.
Here are the South Carolina women's basketball players who will not be returning next season:
Te-Hina PaoPao
The transfer out of Oregon played two seasons in South Carolina, using up all five years of her NCAA eligibility. She averaged 11 points per game in the 2023-2024 season and 9.4 points per game this season. Paopao leaves South Carolina a big part of their 2024 National Championship run, and will now head into the WNBA Draft.
Several mock drafts have her going in the middle to late first round, and with expansion taking effect this season, expect PaoPao to make a WNBA roster.
Sania Feagin
Another senior out of eligible years, Sania Feagin will also not return to South Carolina next season. The forward played her entire college career with the Gamecocks, winning two National Championships and making it to four Final Four tournaments.
She's a steady forward with a lot of potential, and heading into the WNBA Draft next Monday. Currently expected to be drafted in the second round, she has potential to move up after an appearance in the Final Four. She has a lot of raw talent when it comes to playing and defending under the rim — a skill WNBA executives will notice.
Bree Hall
Another four-year South Carolina faithful, Bree Hall's time as a Gamecock is also over. She expressed after the National Championship game that she will be declaring for the WNBA Draft. Another one of South Carolina's starters, her impact on the team will be missed. She also has two National titles under her belt as she moves on.
With WNBA expansion meaning more roster spots in the league overall, Hall could have the chance to make it onto a team.
Sakima Walker
Sakima Walker played two years at Rutgers before transferring to South Carolina. She was a part of the 2024 National Championship team, playing off the bench for the Gamecocks. On a team with as much depth as the Gamecocks, their bench players were also crucial to the success of the team. Often deployed for long stretches of time to keep the starters fresh, the bench often outscored their opponents.
Raven Johnson
While Raven Johnson is draft eligible this season, she has not made a decision (publicly) yet to stay at South Carolina or go to the WNBA. She has received high praise from players like Diana Taurasi, who have said she has potential in the league. Johnson did mention after the National Championship game that the result did affect her decision on whether to leave or stay.
Johnson has 48 hours from the end of Sunday night's game to make her final decision, per NCAA rules.
Who is coming in for the Gamecocks?
While many players are leaving South Carolina's roster, the program also doesn't have much trouble recruiting either. Between the transfer portal and high school recruitment, they should have a lot of players hoping to join the team.
Their highest recruit coming in next season is Agot Makeer, the No. 4 overall recruit from Canada. The 6-1 guard/forward has impressed on the Canadian junior circuit for years, heading to Montverde Academy in Florida to attend high school. They also have the No. 22 recruit Ayla McDowell committed. Dawn Staley commented after the loss to UConn Sunday that they will be looking for "experienced" players in the transfer portal as well.
With big names like Ta'Niya Latson, Olivia Miles, Avery Howell and more in the transfer portal and not yet committed, Staley will have some great options to add to next year's roster.