Lady Gamecocks Trio at WNBA Draft

Dawn Staley reacts to SC trio in the WNBA draft

After not having a first-round WNBA draft pick for the first time in three years, Staley watched three of her players get selected within minutes of each other in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft on April 14.

Starting guard Te-Hina Paopao was selected No. 18 overall by the Atlanta Dream; starting guard Bree Hall was taken at No. 20 by the Indiana Fever; and starting forward Sania Feagin rounded it off, picked at No. 21 by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Staley and the coaching staff were at The Shed at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York, to support Feagin and the 2025 draft class. Paopao and Hall were watching from home with their respective families.

Shortly after the chaotic moments and series of picks, Staley took to X, formerly Twitter.

"Thank you Lord," Staley wrote. "Proud of @GamecockWBB @tehinapaopa0 @breezyhalll @supremenia for being selected in the @WNBA draft. @AtlantaDream @IndianaFever @LASparks yall have some class act human beings and highly tested talented individuals! Let’s gooooo!!!"

Training camp begins on April 27, with the season beginning on May 14. Each WNBA team has a minimum roster size of 11 players and a maximum of 12, which means every player drafted still has to earn a roster spot.

If Paopao makes the final roster for the Dream, she'll likely have South Carolina fans in the stands supporting her. Gateway Center Arena is just under four hours from Colonial Life Arena, and Gamecocks fans are known to travel well.

Feagin, also on the national championship team from 2022, will look to make the roster that just acquired veteran guard Kelsey Plum, who played with A'ja Wilson on the Las Vegas Aces until this offseason. Wilson and Feagin did not share the South Carolina court at the same time, but they have a connection nonetheless.

In the post-draft interview, Feagin said Wilson was her favorite player growing up, and that her younger self would be proud to know they are now in the same league.