COLUMBIA — When South Carolina women’s basketball faced Mississippi State in Starkville on Jan. 5, the Gamecocks found themselves down 22-13 after the opening quarter.
At the time, Madina Okot, the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-6 center, wasn’t complaining.
Advertisement
South Carolina went on to recover and win 95-68, and what Okot, who has since transferred into coach Dawn Staley’s program, remembers was her new team’s ability to bounce back.
“Very energic players,” Okot recalls. “They play as a team. The general leadership on the court and how they handled pressure. We were up and they were able to control (the game).”
Florida State‘s Ta’Niya Latson, who led the nation in 2024-25 with 25.2 points per game, was a huge get for Staley in the transfer portal. But Okot’s presence in the post was something the Gamecocks really lacked last season.
Okot played just one season at Mississippi State after spending two years playing for Zetech University in Kenya. As a junior, she started all 34 games and averaged 11.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
Advertisement
South Carolina’s leading rebounder last season was Chloe Kitts at 7.7 per game.
Though she only started playing basketball in 2020, she’s been watching former South Carolina stars like A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston in an attempt to improve her own personal skills. That was a reason why Okot was attracted to Columbia, knowing how Staley produced both those two WNBA icons, and other quality post players.
“That has truly been a motivating factor to me because I feel like this program can produce good forward and centers,” Okot said. “I feel like I can be one of them.”
Having been part of the Bulldogs’ season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Okot is familiar with the SEC but South Carolina is a better opportunity for more competition, she added.
Advertisement
Okot was spotted downtown Columbia with forwards Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda on April 19, three days before she announced on social media she had committed to the team. She said from the jump, everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming.
A lot of what Staley does is basketball related but Okot said it’s not just basketball that Staley is assisting with. She said Staley’s kindness and guidance off the court has been huge.
“She’s a very, very good coach,” Okot said. “I just feel so good being around her. She knows how to talk to the players when you’re frustrated, when you have good days and bad days, she knows how to talk players through that. For example me, I’ve been having issues maybe with communication because I’m from Africa and sometimes they’ll be struggling to get my English. She has been making sure that they’re getting that right.”
In terms of this season’s starters, Staley could feel Okot is ready to start and have Kitts at the four with last year’s leading scorer Joyce Edwards coming off the bench. Staley might also bring Okot off the bench and start Edwards with Kitts.
Advertisement
Tac is 6-5 but battled knee injuries her first two years with the program so bringing in Okot as a seasoned and traditional center is a huge gain for Staley.
Last year, she scored in double figures 22 times out of 34 games. Her season rebounding average ranked fourth in the SEC, and that number rose to 10.1 per SEC game. After Ashlyn Watkins went down with an ACL tear, the Gamecocks suffered on the boards at times, something Okot can assist with until Watkins returns.
THREE GAMECOCKS: What channel is FIBA AmeriCup today? Times, TV schedule, streaming to see Dawn Staley’s players
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina women’s basketball: Madina Okot on Dawn Staley, transfer
