South Carolina guard declares for WNBA draft

South Carolina guard Brea Beal announced her intent to declare for the 2023 WNBA Draft in a Tuesday tweet. 

"My time as a Gamecock has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for all the love and support I have received from the Fams," she wrote. "I want to express my deepest gratitude to Coach (Dawn) Staley, Coach (Jolette) Law, Coach (Lisa) Boyer, Coach (Fred) Chmiel and the phenomenal coaches and staff."

Senior guard Zia Cooke declared for the draft later on Tuesday. She joined South Carolina forward Laeticia Amihere and LSU guard Alexis Morris, two Final Four participants who officially declared for the WNBA draft, according to ESPN women's basketball reporter Alexa Philippou.

A former five-star recruit out of Rock Island, Ill., Beal scored 6.4 points, grabbed 4.3 rebounds and dished 2.7 assists for a Gamecocks squad that ended their season with a 36-1 record and a 16-0 record against conference opponents. She tied with Amihere at 1.1 blocks per game, good enough for third behind junior center Kamilla Cardoso and senior forward Aliyah Boston.

Boston declared for the 2023 WNBA Draft on Saturday, guaranteeing her spot on a WNBA franchise after four seasons at South Carolina. The 2022 Associated Press Player of the Year was selected with the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever in ESPN's mock draft.

Even with the departure of the seniors, South Carolina's future may still be in good hands. 

The Gamecocks have verbal commitments from two five-star and two four-star recruits in the 2023 class, following up a 2022 class that featured two five-star recruits. Freshman forward Ashlyn Watkins threw down the first dunk in South Carolina history during an 85-31 win over Clemson in November. 

Now freshman guard Raven Johnson looks primed to be the future of South Carolina.

"She's a pro in the making," Staley said, via The Next Hoops. "I'm super proud that she's on our team and she's going to represent our team and our university."