Delighted Dawn Staley proudly reacts as Bree Hall, Te-Hina Paopao and Sania Feagin get picked during 2025 WNBA Draft

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley could not lead the No. 1-seed Gamecocks to a repeat national championship last Sunday as they were blown out 82-59 by the UConn Huskies. The Gamecocks coach quickly switched her attention to the WNBA Draft, with three of her players attending the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday evening.

For the first time in three years, South Carolina did not have one prospect picked in the first round of the draft. The second round was bountiful for Staley and the program as three players were picked within minutes of each other. Standout guard Te-Hina Paopao was picked No. 18 overall by the Atlanta Dream, Bree Hall was picked No. 20 by the Indiana Fever and Sania Feagin was picked No. 21 by the Los Angeles Sparks.

The ever-supportive Dawn Staley reacted with delight on X to the three former Gamecocks getting picked during the draft.

"Thank you Lord! Proud of @GamecockWBB @tehinapaopa0 @breezyhalll @supremenia for being selected in the @WNBA draft. @AtlantaDrea @IndianaFever @LASparks yall have some class act human beings and highly tested talented individuals! Let’s gooooo!!!" Dawn Staley tweeted.

Staley and the South Carolina coaching staff, including Lisa Boyer, Jolette Law and Khadijah Sessions attended the ceremony at The Shed at Hudson Yards, New York, to support their former players. Of the three prospects, Sania Feagin attended the event, while Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall watched it at home with their families.

Dawn Staley has a rich draft culture at USC

Dawn Staley has established a rich draft heritage during her 17-year tenure as coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks. At least one USC player has been picked in nine of the last 11 drafts and A'ja Wilson was the first Gamecocks player picked No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Aces during the 2018 draft and she was joined by Aliyah Boston to the Indiana Fever in 2023.

Since the 2020 season, South Carolina has had 12 players picked in the WNBA Draft, which is tied for the most in the nation, while its six first-rounders are the most of any program in the country in that period.

After Sania Feagin was picked No. 21 overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft, she represented the No. 18 player picked in the Dawn Staley era. The South Carolina coach has continued her tradition of recruiting some of the best talents in the country and making them WNBA-ready, thus building a rich draft culture in Columbia.