South Carolina women's basketball starting senior center Madina Okot has been denied an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA, the school announced Wednesday. She will enter the WNBA draft following one season with the Gamecocks.
The school submitted a season of competition waiver to the NCAA with the goal of permitting Okot to return to the school for the 2026-27 season. That waiver has been denied, confirming Okot has exhausted her collegiate eligibility. She played two total seasons in the NCAA, the first with Mississippi State before transferring to Columbia this past season.
“Early in her basketball career, Madina made courageous choices not just to pursue just the sport, but also to better her life,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “Her path included just a short time with us in Columbia, but we are grateful to be part of her story. She made our team and our sport better.”
The Kenyan native ranked third in the country with 22 double-doubles this season, averaging 10.6 rebounds and 12.8 points per game. She shot 57.5% from the field, a mark that ranked 19th in the country.
Okot was selected to the All-SEC Second Team for her success this season. Her 2025-26 campaign included 149 offensive rebounds, the second most in a single season in program history. With 263 defensive rebounds and a total of 412 overall, both marks rank third in single-season program history, while the 22 double-doubles rank fifth in a season in program history as well.
She led the Gamecocks with 1.4 blocks per game. She also shot an impressive 44.8% percentage from the 3-point line, tied with junior guard Tessa Johnson for the best mark on the team. Her 13 made 3-pointers were the sixth most on the team last season.
The team fell to UCLA in the national championship game Sunday, where Okot had six points and three rebounds. The Gamecocks finished the season with a 36-4 record and won the SEC regular-season title for the fifth-straight season.