Sunday’s matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena was more than just a regular season WNBA game — it was a showcase of South Carolina’s enduring pipeline to the professional ranks. Four former Gamecocks took center stage in a thriller that went down to the final 3.6 seconds, and the performance they delivered collectively made one thing abundantly clear: Dawn Staley’s program continues to produce at the highest level.
Madina Okot: The Rookie is Already at Home
The loudest early noise in Atlanta’s building was made by the newest Gamecock to go pro. Rookie center Madina Okot — selected 13th overall by the Dream in the 2026 WNBA Draft — delivered her second career double-double, finishing with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a block in what was her first home game with Atlanta.
The crowd’s response was immediate and genuine. Fans poured love onto the 21-year-old center who less than six years ago had never touched a basketball. Okot was drafted by the Dream in the first round of the WNBA Draft in April, impressing after an All-SEC senior season at South Carolina under Dawn Staley.
Critically, it was Okot’s back-to-back buckets that ignited Atlanta’s stunning 16-0 fourth-quarter run — the very run that brought the Dream from down 19 to within one possession. For a rookie still finding her footing in the league, stepping up in that moment on a home floor, in front of a crowd seeing her for the first time, signals something special.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko has been effusive in his praise: “I don’t think she even realizes how good she is. Once she realizes how good she is, and then just understands some different situations that happen in the W over and over again, she’ll be able to understand when she has a post up advantage… just understanding the timing of those things.”
That ceiling remains miles away.
Te-Hina Paopao: The Former Gamecock They Shouldn’t Have Slept On
If Okot sparked the comeback, Te-Hina Paopao was its engine. The former South Carolina guard finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block — drilling 4 of 9 three-point attempts and going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in a performance that was nothing short of spectacular.
Paopao was powering Atlanta from the opening tip, putting up seven points in the first quarter alone. But her defining moment came at the most critical juncture of the game. With the Dream mounting their furious comeback, Paopao hit a three-pointer with 2:16 remaining to fuel the surge, cutting what had been a commanding Aces lead to just one point.
That shot — ice cold, playoff-level pressure, in a game Atlanta had no business being in at that point — encapsulated exactly the kind of player Paopao is developing into. She didn’t just show up in the stat line. She showed up in the moment.
Allisha Gray: The Veteran Anchor Who Refused to Fold
The Dream’s most experienced former Gamecock delivered the kind of performance that reminds the league why she remains one of the most complete guards in the WNBA. Allisha Gray finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds — her second consecutive dominant outing against Las Vegas — and was the Dream’s offensive foundation from start to finish.
Gray scored 17 points in the third quarter alone to lead Atlanta, which shot just 27.3% from the field in that period. When the game was slipping away, she willed it back. Gray hit two free throws late to make it 83-82 as Atlanta clawed toward the lead — and for one brief moment, Gamecock Nation’s dream of a victory was alive.
Her second-game line against Las Vegas — 21 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 three-pointers made at 62% from the field — only further cements her status as one of the premier performers in this matchup.
A’ja Wilson: The GOAT Keeps Rewriting the Record Books
On the other sideline, the greatest Gamecock to ever do it continued her relentless march into history. A’ja Wilson finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2-of-2 from three and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line — a quieter night by her stratospheric standards, but one with historic significance.
Wilson moved past Aces head coach Becky Hammon — herself a six-time WNBA All-Star — into 19th place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, now sitting at 5,844 career points.
Even in a game where her supporting cast did the heavy lifting early, Wilson proved she is in a different category when it matters most. When the Dream threatened to complete the comeback, it was Wilson who stopped the bleeding with a driving layup— a moment of championship composure that spoke to everything that separates her from the rest.
The Final Verdict
Chelsea Gray made a fadeaway jumper in the lane with 3.6 seconds remaining to seal the Aces’ 85-84 victory CBS Sports — leaving Atlanta’s former Gamecocks with a performance to be proud of and a result to fuel them going forward.
Four South Carolina alumnae. Four significant contributions. One heartbreaking point separating them from a landmark victory. The Gamecock pipeline to the WNBA has never looked stronger — and Sunday’s game was the proof.
