The ball has dropped. The confetti has settled. The careers in Columbia are complete. But before Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, and Madina Okot hear their names called on draft night, they have one more stage to conquer — and based on what they’re saying ahead of Monday’s event, the Orange Carpet may be remembered just as long as the picks themselves.
The Stage Is Set
The draft-night festivities tip off with invited players showcasing their personalities and unique fashion styles on the WNBA’s iconic Orange Carpet presented by Coach. The Orange Carpet Special airs on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET, preceding the WNBA Countdown at 6:30 p.m. ET and the draft broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
For decades, the WNBA Draft Orange Carpet has grown into one of the most anticipated fashion moments in women’s sports — a runway where athletes arrive not just as basketball players but as style icons making their professional debut statement to the world. Before the 2026 class takes the Orange Carpet on Monday, previous draft nights have set a high bar, with athletes transforming the event into one of the year’s most anticipated fashion moments.
The three Gamecocks heading to New York City have made it crystal clear: they intend to raise the bar even higher.
Raven Johnson: “Grown Women” Energy
Nobody put it quite like Raven Johnson. When asked about her Orange Carpet plans, the fifth-year point guard delivered the most quotable response of the pre-draft media cycle — and it perfectly captured who she is.
“Oh I’m ’bout to step,” Johnson said. “I’m about to give grown women, I’m bout to give [that energy]. It’s about to give beauty, I can’t wait for y’all to see what I got coming. I’m excited to see my friends and other people here, [their] outfit and what match their personality. I’m excited for Madina there, I think she’s gonna step.”
The confidence radiating from that statement is entirely in character for a player who spent five years as the heartbeat of South Carolina’s program. Johnson is one of the winningest players in program history, having gone 145-8 across her career with the Gamecocks. She has been on the biggest stages in college basketball repeatedly — and she carries that same readiness into every moment, apparently including the fashion ones.
What stands out in her pre-draft comments is not just her own excitement but her genuine enthusiasm for her teammates. Hyping Madina Okot before she’s been asked about her is the kind of teammate energy that defined her entire Gamecock career.
Ta’Niya Latson: Classic, Timeless, Red Bottoms
If Johnson is going bold, Latson is going refined. When asked for her Orange Carpet sneak peek, she described her approach with the same clarity she brings to the court.
“Yeah, you know I think I’m going for like a simple classic look — timeless, nice dress, red bottom. But stay tuned, y’all will see.”
The mention of red bottoms is its own statement — an elegant nod to the idea that Monday night represents something earned, something that matches a career defined by production at the highest level. Latson spent four seasons averaging more than 21 points per game before transferring to South Carolina, where she became a more complete player while still earning All-America status for the fourth consecutive year.
A simple, classic, timeless dress. Red bottoms. That framing says everything about how Latson wants the world to see her — understated power, not chasing attention, but impossible to ignore. She then added, quietly and with complete conviction: “I’m just so proud of myself.”
That line lands heavier than any fashion teaser. After the journey she has been on — leading the nation in scoring, reshaping her game at South Carolina, fighting for a chance to win a national championship — the pride is real, earned, and deserved.
Madina Okot: “It’s Gonna Be Tea” — A Full Surprise
And then there is Madina Okot, who may have generated the most anticipation of all three simply by refusing to give anything away.
“It’s gonna be tea,” Okot said of her draft outfit. “I’m gonna kill but I don’t want to say what I’m gonna wear right now, ’cause I want it to be a surprise.”
There is an art to building suspense, and Okot has mastered it. For a player whose entire college arc was defined by constant growth — from beginning organized basketball in Kenya in 2020 to earning All-SEC honors and finishing as a projected first-round pick just six years later — keeping something in reserve until the moment arrives feels completely natural.
The buzz around her Orange Carpet look is already building. The mystery she has created is the kind of anticipation that only happens when people genuinely believe the payoff will be worth it. Given everything she has shown on the basketball court, there is every reason to believe the fashion moment will match the player.
More Than Fashion — A Moment in History
The three South Carolina players walking that Orange Carpet on Monday represent something larger than their individual looks. This marks the third time in WNBA draft history that three Gamecocks have been invited to attend the annual event, with all three projected as potential first-round picks. If that happens, it would mark only the third time Staley has produced three first-round selections in a single draft class.
Earlier in draft day, invited players will visit the iconic Empire State Building for a lighting ceremony celebrating the 2026 WNBA Draft before arriving on the Orange Carpet. Three women who wore garnet and black, who took South Carolina to a national championship game, who each gave everything they had for the program — they will walk that carpet in New York City knowing they helped write another chapter of one of the great dynasties in college sports history.
Raven Johnson is stepping out as a grown woman. Ta’Niya Latson is giving timeless elegance. Madina Okot is keeping the internet in suspense. All three are locked in. And come Monday night, all of New York City — and the entire women’s basketball world — will finally see what they’ve been working toward.
