The 2027 WNBA Draft is still months away, but the early scouting reports are already in — and South Carolina has a trio of players generating serious professional buzz. Ashlyn Watkins, Chloe Kitts, and Tessa Johnson are the only Gamecocks currently draft-eligible, and the national media has taken notice. The question isn’t whether they’ll be drafted. The question is how high they’ll go — and for one of them, next season is essentially a make-or-break audition.
Understanding Who’s Actually Eligible
Before diving into the rankings, the eligibility picture deserves clarity. WNBA Draft eligibility requires a player to turn 22 during the draft year, be four years removed from high school, have exhausted college eligibility, or be scheduled to graduate within three months of the draft. By those standards, South Carolina’s pool is limited to three players: Watkins, Kitts, and Johnson.
One notable wrinkle: if the “5-for-5” eligibility rule passes as expected, Johnson would qualify for a fifth college season, giving her the option to return rather than enter the draft. Kitts and Watkins, however, will exhaust their eligibility regardless after the 2026-27 season — making this upcoming year their final collegiate chapter.
The Draft Landscape: Where Do the Gamecocks Stand?
The 2027 class is already being shaped around USC’s Juju Watkins — who, notably, will face South Carolina in November — as the consensus top overall prospect. Madison Booker and Hannah Hidalgo also rank among the early elite. USA Today’s initial top-10 list included no Gamecocks, a reminder that while South Carolina’s trio has legitimate professional upside, they are operating outside the very top tier of this class.
That said, the scouting community is paying close attention to all three.
Tessa Johnson: The Most Universally Praised Prospect
Of the three Gamecocks, Johnson has emerged as the most consistently celebrated name across every major outlet — and the reason is simple: she might be the best shooter in college basketball.
Bleacher Report is the most effusive, ranking her sixth overall and declaring, “Tessa Johnson is easily the best off-ball shooter in college basketball.” That is a bold statement in a sport where shooting specialists are always in demand at the professional level. CBS Sports slots her 11th but echoes the same conviction: “She is an elite shooter — 44.8% on 5.3 3-point attempts per game as a junior — with a quick release and a unique ability to consistently knock down contested looks.” The Athletic ranks her eighth, also crediting her shooting as the primary driver of her professional ceiling.
A player who shoots 44.8% from three on over five attempts per game isn’t a fluke. That’s a legitimate professional skill set, and every outlet recognizes it. Johnson’s eligibility decision — whether to return for a potential fifth season or enter the draft — will be one of the most compelling storylines surrounding the Gamecocks heading into 2026-27.
Chloe Kitts: The Biggest Unknown in the Class
If Johnson is the most praised, Kitts is the most fascinating — and the most uncertain. Bleacher Report has her eighth, The Athletic slots her 12th, and CBS Sports doesn’t include her in its top 15 at all. That kind of variance tells you everything: the scouting community sees real talent but hasn’t reached consensus on what she is at the next level.
Fansided articulates the stakes better than anyone: “I don’t think there’s a single player in this draft class whose stock depends more on how she plays next season than South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts.” That framing is both an opportunity and a pressure test. Kitts enters 2026-27 with more to prove — and more to gain — than perhaps any prospect in the entire class. A breakout season could vault her into the lottery conversation. An inconsistent one could send her tumbling down boards entirely.
Ashlyn Watkins: Defensive Versatility With Upside
Watkins’ professional case rests on a different foundation than Johnson’s shooting or Kitts’ scoring potential. The Athletic ranks her 10th (per Bleacher Report), while Fansided projects her as the eighth-best prospect, crediting her defensive impact. The Athletic notes she “is an excellent defensive player who is scheme-versatile — she protects the paint and is skilled enough to cover perimeter players.” In the modern WNBA, where defensive versatility is increasingly valued, that profile has real merit. Her offensive development over this final season will determine whether she’s an early second-round pick or climbs into late first-round territory.
The Bottom Line
South Carolina enters 2026-27 with three players auditioning for professional careers in real time. Johnson looks like the surest bet — her shooting translates directly to the WNBA and the numbers back up every rave review. Watkins has the defensive tools to carve out a roster spot quickly. And Kitts? She’s the wildcard, the most polarizing player in the class, the one whose final college season carries the most professional weight of anyone in the country.
Dawn Staley’s program doesn’t just develop national champions. It develops WNBA players. This season, three of them will be making their case on every possession.
