South Carolina women's basketball: WNBA Draft Recap

How do South Carolina’s three WNBA Draft picks fit in with their new teams, what are their chances of making the roster, and what are their contracts worth?

All three of South Carolina’s draft-eligible players – Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall, and Sania Feagin – were selected in the second round of the WNBA Draft on Monday night. 

The WNBA famously bills itself as the most difficult sports league in the world to make. With only 156 roster spots available and a notoriously tight salary cap, not even first-round draft picks are assured of making the team.

Since they were drafted within four picks, Paopao, Hall, and Feagin will sign the same rookie scale contract. It is a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth season. The first season is for $69,267, the second season is worth $70,653, the third season is worth $77,720, and the fourth season option is worth $88,317.

One important sidebar is the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement. It expires after the upcoming season, and almost every veteran player has a contract that expires at the same time. It’s possible that teams may place a premium on rookies and their four-year deals, but nobody knows how it will play out yet.

Te-Hina Paopao
Pick: 18
Team: Atlanta Dream

Fit: Good. Atlanta’s big offseason moves were bringing in Brittney Griner and coach Karl Smesko. At Florida Gulf Coast, Smesko’s teams played fast-paced, positionless basketball and took lots of threes. Outside of Griner, Smesko has a bunch of positionless players (Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Hayley Jones) but not a lot of three-point shooting. Paopao isn’t positionless, but hr best college season came in a fast-paced offense with a big, dominant post. Sounds familiar.

Chance of making the team: Good. A sniper to space the floor for Griner and all those wings sounds like a good addition. Atlanta currently has 14 players listed on its roster, but Holly Winterburn will not play this season, and Ashley Joens is on a training camp contract. The numbers are in Paopao’s favor.

What the experts say: “Absolutely love the fit of Te-Hina Paopao in Atlanta. She’s an outstanding shooter who only takes high-quality shots, and the South Carolina fans WILL travel to watch the Dream.” – Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic

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Bree Hall
Pick: 20
Team: Indiana Fever

Fit: Great. Indiana has a strong post in Aliyah Boston, a talented wing scorer in DeWonna Bonner, a slasher in Kelsey Mitchell, and the straw that stirs the drink in Caitlin Clark. They need a rangy defender who can knock down threes and space the floor. Sounds just like Hall.

Chance of making the team: Decent. The fit is great, but the competition is fierce. Indiana already has two three-and-D wings in Lexie Hull, who is close to Clark, and Sophie Cunningham, who was acquired in the offseason. It’s unlikely (almost impossible, actually) that Indiana will keep all three. Indiana is in win-now mode, which might give the veteran Cunningham an edge.

What the experts say: “Hall gives Indiana a much-needed perimeter defender. Hall’s ability to knock down spot-up 3-pointers should also have value, especially with Clark running the break.” – Charlie Creme, ESPN

Sania Feagin
Pick: 21 
Team: Los Angeles Sparks

Fit: Good. New coach Lynne Roberts, formerly at Utah, likes to space the floor, and Feagin’s versatile skill set – she is comfortable around the rim or midrange – is a good fit. Los Angeles is also expected to be without Cameron Brink for the first half of the season, so the Sparks need an extra frontcourt player.

Chance of making the team: Good. The Sparks are undergoing a massive rebuild, so the focus will probably be on young players. However, Los Angeles currently has 16 players on its roster, including training camp contracts, so it’s difficult to predict the final roster.

What the experts say: “Looking back, though, Feagin might be the most impactful player the Sparks get in this draft. She came into her own this season for the Gamecocks and could just be scratching the surface of her ability.” – Michael Voepel, ESPN

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