South Carolina Lands Second Player In Transfer Portal After Madina Okot Commits To The Gamecocks

South Carolina gets a much-needed transfer portal commitment as the transfer portal begins to come to a close. The Gamecocks landed a Texas A&M transfer, Madina Okot, on Monday night to help bolster its center position. With Okot's size, she has a 6’10 wingspan and a 10’3 approach height (running vertical height) it will be tough for opponents to score near the rim against the Gamecocks. 

Okot provides a formidable post presence on the inside. She can score the basketball and is efficient with her touches. In 2024-2025, Okot averaged 11.3 points and 9.6 rebounds on 65% shooting from the field. Her rebounding will be valuable for the Gamecocks heading to next year on both ends. Her 9.6 rebounds per game ranked third in the SEC. Of the 325 rebounds she grabbed last season, 120 came on the offensive glass. 37% of her rebounds came on the offensive glass another really good sign of potentially more possessions for the Gamecocks.

Okot also gets it done on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She set a career-high in blocks this season against Missouri, where she finished with four. One of her best games came in a double overtime victory over Vanderbilt, where she recorded a 20-20 game, finishing with 21 points and 23 rebounds. She recorded a career-high five steals against Alabama State back in November. 

Okot has a really cool story, having only played basketball for five seasons, getting her start in Kenya. Before coming to the United States, she played for Zetech University in Kenya as she awaited approval for her Visa. 

An area where South Carolina struggled last season was at the center position. To put it frankly, the Gamecocks didn't have their prototypical enforcer in the post like they've had in years past in Aja Wilson, Aliyah Boston, and Kamilla Cardoso. Ashlyn Watkins tore her ACL against Mississippi State on January 5th and is still recovering from the injury. Adhel Tac is another player for the Gamecocks who has dealt with injuries that have forced her to miss the last few years on the court. With the addition of Okot, they get some of that back.

At worst, Okot provides South Carolina with a rotational piece and depth. Her ceiling is being a starter and becoming a potential All-SEC caliber player with the Gamecocks. With her experience and being able to excel in the SEC, Okot should be a player that Coach Staley can rely on heading into next season. She is very coachable and coach Staley is great at getting the best out of her players. She has created quite a reputation for developing players and sending them off to the WNBA where they excel.

Coach Staley also landed an elite scorer from Florida State in Ta’Niya Latson this offseason, who averaged 21.3 points per game and, in all likelihood, helped bring back Raven Johnson for another season. It has been an offseason of departures for South Carolina, which lost Te-Hina Paopao (Atlanta Dream), Bree Hall (Indiana Fever), and Sania Feagin (Los Angeles Sparks). MiLaysia Fulwiley and Sakima Walker both entered the transfer portal.