A former South Carolina player will win a WNBA title this season. The Finals tip off Saturday, and four of Dawn Staley’s alumnae are still playing for a ring.
Gamecocks Who Are Already Out
Kamilla Cardoso (Chicago), Zia Cooke (Seattle) and Sania Feagin (Portland) missed the playoffs. Cooke and Feagin were sidelined by injuries anyway. Indiana’s Aliyah Boston, Bree Hall, Ty Harris (injured) and Raven Johnson were eliminated in the first round. A’ja Wilson and Ta’Niya Latson were swept out of the semifinals with Las Vegas.
Atlanta Dream (30-14, No. 4 seed)
Allisha Gray
– Regular season: 44 games (44 starts), 32.6 mpg, 19.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.4 spg
– Game 1 vs. New York (92-82 win): 11 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal
– Game 2 vs. New York (101-98 win): did not play, left hand
– Game 3 at New York (85-83 win): did not play, left hand
Madina Okot
– Regular season: 42 games (2 starts), 9.1 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 58.0 FG%
– Game 1: 2 minutes, 2 rebounds
– Game 2: 1 minute, no stats
– Game 3: did not play, coach’s decision
Te-Hina Paopao
– Regular season: 35 games (1 start), 11.6 mpg, 3.7 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 35.7 3P%
– Game 1: 4 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound
– Game 2: 10 minutes, 4 points, 1-for-1 from three
– Game 3: 3 minutes, no stats
Atlanta swept New York even though Gray played under 11 minutes before a left hand injury ended her series. She said she underwent a “procedure” on the hand last week but would not say what it was. Gray practiced Friday and appeared as questionable on Atlanta’s Friday night injury report. She said Saturday’s feel in the hand will decide whether she plays. The long gap between the semifinals and the Finals worked in her and the Dream’s favor.
With Gray out, Paopao and Okot did not get a meaningful bump in minutes. Coach Karl Smesko relied on Angel Reese, Jordin Canada and Isobel Borlase, all playing well, along with veteran DeWanna Bonner.
Golden State Valkyries (32-12, No. 2 seed)
Laeticia Amihere
– Regular season: 39 games (1 start), 11.7 mpg, 3.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8 bpg
– All three games vs. Las Vegas (71-60, 83-81 and 87-77 in overtime, all wins): did not play, coach’s decision
Golden State chose quicker defenders to harass the Aces, so Amihere sat. Against Atlanta during the regular season she averaged nearly 12 minutes a game, and the Valkyries won all three meetings.
The Gamecocks Who Fell in the Semifinals
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
– Regular season: 41 games (41 starts), 32.0 mpg, 26.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.9 bpg, 1.5 spg, 40.4 3P%
– Game 1 at Golden State (71-60 loss): 35 minutes, 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
– Game 2 at Golden State (83-81 loss): 36 minutes, 24 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
– Game 3 vs. Golden State (87-77 overtime loss): 43 minutes, 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal
Wilson collected her third straight MVP and fifth overall last week. She also earned her fifth first-team All-Defense selection, to go with a second-team nod as a rookie. The honors softened an otherwise disappointing week for Las Vegas.
Ta’Niya Latson, Las Vegas (developmental player)
– With Las Vegas: 9 games, 6.3 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.4 apg
– With Los Angeles: 10 games, 5.0 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.3 apg
– Combined: 19 games, 5.6 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 54.2 FG%, 50.0 3P%
– Inactive for all three semifinal games
WNBA Finals Schedule and TV
– Game 1: Sat., Oct. 17, Atlanta at Golden State, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
– Game 2: Mon., Oct. 19, Atlanta at Golden State, 8:00 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC/Peacock)
– Game 3: Wed., Oct. 21, Golden State at Atlanta, 8:00 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC/Peacock)
– Game 4: Sat., Oct. 24, Golden State at Atlanta, 1:00 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
– Game 5*: Mon., Oct. 26, Atlanta at Golden State, 8:00 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC/Peacock)
– Game 6*: Thu., Oct. 29, Golden State at Atlanta, 8:00 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC/Peacock)
– Game 7*: Sat., Oct. 31, Atlanta at Golden State, 8:00 p.m. ET (USA/CNBC/Peacock)
If necessary
Bottom Line
The Gamecock storyline in this series is Gray’s hand. She is Atlanta’s only former South Carolina player with a major role, and the Dream cruised through the semifinals without her, so a limited Gray is less of a crisis than it would have been a round earlier. Paopao and Okot are depth pieces, and Amihere’s minutes depend on whether Golden State wants size against Atlanta’s frontcourt. South Carolina will have a champion either way, but how many of Staley’s former players actually contribute on the court is still an open question.
