Madina Okot may not yet carry the national recognition of former South Carolina greats Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso, but her presence this season has quietly become one of the most important elements of the Gamecocks’ success. While Okot continues to fill a critical role for a team built on depth and balance, she is also showing signs of a player striving for more — both statistically and within the broader legacy of South Carolina women’s basketball.
Okot’s Growing Statistical Impact
Okot’s value doesn’t always jump off the stat sheet the way Boston’s or Cardoso’s numbers once did, but her production has been exactly what South Carolina has needed. She has emerged as a reliable interior scorer, physical rebounder, and defensive anchor, particularly in games where injuries or foul trouble have tested the Gamecocks’ rotation.
Unlike some frontcourt players who rely heavily on volume scoring, Okot has thrived in efficiency. Her field-goal percentage reflects smart shot selection around the rim, and her rebounding numbers often spike in high-leverage moments. She has also become more comfortable scoring through contact, an area where South Carolina has historically dominated under Dawn Staley.
Comparing Okot to Aliyah Boston
Aliyah Boston set a nearly impossible standard during her time at South Carolina. A former National Player of the Year, Boston consistently posted double-doubles, anchored an elite defense, and was the focal point of opposing scouting reports. Statistically, Boston averaged double-figure scoring, elite rebounding numbers, and consistent shot-blocking, while also serving as the emotional leader of the team.
Okot’s role differs significantly. She is not asked to be the offense’s centerpiece, nor is she expected to control every possession in the paint. Where Boston dominated games with overwhelming consistency, Okot contributes through situational dominance — timely rebounds, put-backs, defensive stops, and energy plays that swing momentum.
The comparison highlights not a shortcoming, but a difference in responsibility. Boston carried the program; Okot supports it — and does so effectively.
Stacking Up Against Kamilla Cardoso
Kamilla Cardoso’s impact was defined by size, rim protection, and physical intimidation. Her statistics reflected that dominance: high rebounding totals, strong scoring efficiency, and one of the best defensive presences in the country. Cardoso often altered games without touching the ball, simply by occupying space in the paint.
Okot mirrors Cardoso in physicality more than Boston stylistically, but her numbers are more modest. Cardoso’s role as a defensive enforcer was central to South Carolina’s identity, while Okot operates within a more distributed frontcourt rotation. That said, Okot has shown flashes of Cardoso-like presence, especially in matchups where physicality determines the outcome.
Where Okot stands statistically
From a statistical standpoint, Okot’s current production mirrors the kind of double‑double averages and elite efficiency Boston and Cardoso posted in their peak seasons at South Carolina. Her rebounding numbers and double‑double count put her in the same national conversation as the top frontcourt players in the country, echoing the standard Boston and Cardoso set as All‑Americans and national award winners. What differentiates Okot’s season is how quickly she has reached that level after transferring into the program, with only a month of games needed to establish herself as one of the SEC’s most impactful bigs. The staff’s language around her—raising “the standard” almost as soon as she meets it—shows that they view her not as a complementary piece, but as the new focal point of the Gamecock frontcourt legacy that Boston and Cardoso helped build.
Why Okot Still Wants More
Despite her importance, Okot has made it clear — through her play — that she’s not satisfied. Her effort on the glass, improved touch around the rim, and willingness to defend multiple positions suggest a player pushing toward another level. As South Carolina continues to navigate injuries and lineup adjustments, Okot’s expanded minutes have allowed her to grow in confidence and consistency.
She may not post the historic stat lines Boston once did or dominate defensively like Cardoso, but Okot’s evolution reflects the modern version of South Carolina basketball: depth-driven, adaptable, and unselfish.
Despite weekly honors such as SEC and USBWA Player of the Week, Okot and the program remain openly critical of her missed opportunities, focusing on things like late‑game free throws and early missed layups as areas to clean up. That mindset mirrors the way Staley once challenged Boston and Cardoso: even dominant stat lines were framed as a floor, not a ceiling, for what South Carolina bigs should deliver. Teammates talk about “moving the goalposts” for Okot, insisting that meeting the standard is no longer enough and that she must now exceed it to match the legacy of the Gamecock greats before her. In that sense, the recent surge in Okot’s stats is not treated as a finished product, but as the foundation for another era of elite South Carolina post play, in direct continuity with what Cardoso and Boston established.
The Bigger Picture
Madina Okot’s statistics may not yet place her alongside Boston or Cardoso in the record books, but her impact is undeniable. She has become exactly who the Gamecocks needed at this moment — a dependable interior presence with room to grow.
And if her trajectory continues, Okot may soon close the gap between being a key contributor and becoming the next frontcourt name South Carolina fans remember long after her jersey comes off.
Citations:
[1] South Carolina’s Madina Okot headlines the most impactful … https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/south-carolina-madina-okot-headlines-190000535.html
[2] South Carolina women’s basketball: Madina Okot is … https://www.on3.com/teams/south-carolina-gamecocks/news/south-carolina-womens-basketball-madina-okot-is-dominating-just-like-the-gamecocks-want-her-to/
[3] Madina Okot – University of South Carolina Athletics https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/wbball/roster/player/madina-okot/
[4] Okot Named SEC and USBWA Player of the Week https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2025/12/09/okot-named-sec-and-usbwa-player-of-the-week/
[5] Madina Okot – South Carolina Gamecocks Center https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5108587/madina-okot
