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South Carolina women's basketball: Madina Okot is a big addition - literally and figuratively

On3 imageby:Chris Wellbaum•04/21/25•

ChrisWellbaum

madina okot5
Madina Okot (Photo by Mike Mattina, Mississippi State Athletics)

South Carolina picked up its second big transfer portal commitment of the offseason, with an emphasis on “big.” Madina Okot, a 6-6 post who played at Mississippi State, announced she is joining the Gamecocks.

Okot had been rumored to be headed to South Carolina for a couple of weeks, but didn’t commit immediately. She was in Columbia Easter weekend for an official visit and was spotted around town (and on social media) with her future coaches and teammates.

South Carolina made the national championship game despite not having a dominant post, something that has been a staple under Dawn Staley. After Ashlyn Watkins tore her ACL in January, Staley was down to just three players in her frontcourt rotation: Chloe Kitts, Joyce Edwards, and Sania Feagin.

“The fact that we’re here, the fact we’re here without (Watkins) is quite an incredible feat that is probably not talked about a whole lot because we don’t talk about it a whole lot,” Staley said at the Final Four.

Finding a post in the transfer portal who could rebound and block shots was a priority. Staley even called South Carolina “Post Player U” on her Carolina Calls radio show in March, making an early pitch to potential transfers. 

Looking purely at production, Okot wasn’t the best big in the portal. That probably goes to former Wisconson post Serah Williams. There are cases to be made for Ra Shaya Kyle, Kate Koval, and a few others, but it’s fair to say Okot is in the top five.

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Based on fit, she might be the best.

South Carolina didn’t need someone who could score 20 points per game, like Williams. The Gamecocks got their scorer already with Ta’Niya Latson.

Nead rebounding? Okot was tied for third in the SEC with 9.6 rebounds per game, despite playing on 22.7 minutes.

Rim protection? Okot averaged 1.1 blocks. She is 6-6 with a standing reach of 8-8 and a 6-10 wingspan. That is comparable to the wingspans of Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso.

Need layups? Okot shot 64.9% from the floor (better than the 62.5% she shot from the foul line, but we’ll let that slide). She averaged 11.3 points with a career-high of 26 and an SEC-high of 21 against Vanderbilt.

Okot only began playing basketball in 2020, so she is very raw and has tons of potential. A native of Kenya, she played for the senior national 3X3 team, an indication of how athletic Okot is.

Okot could step in immediately to anchor South Carolina’s starting lineup. Staley also has the option of starting a small lineup and bringing Okot in off the bench as a change-of-pace.

Bringing in Okot means South Carolina and Watkins can be patient with her rehab from the torn ACL. It also buys more time for Adhel Tac to develop. Tac is another player with lots of potential, but she missed almost two years with injuries, and that lost time had more of an impact on her development than anyone anticipated.

Okot only played one season at Mississippi State. She played for two years at Zetech University in Kenya while waiting to be granted a visa to attend Mississippi State (it took five tries). Mississippi State listed Okot as a junior, and it is unclear if she could get back the two seasons she played in Kenya.

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