It's a new beginning for three former South Carolina women’s basketball players as they will try to make their professional dreams come true after being selected in this year’s WNBA draft. 

Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall and Sania Feagin were all taken in the second round with the sixth, eighth and ninth picks. 

It was the ninth time in the past 11 drafts South Carolina had at least one player selected, and the fourth time in the past nine multiple players were selected. Since 2020, the Gamecocks are tied for the most draft selections in the country. 

Paopao was taken with the sixth pick in the second round by the Atlanta Dream. She leaves South Carolina after a decorated career where she was a two-time All-American and five-time all-conference selection in the SEC and Pac 12. During the 2023-24 season, Paopao led all of Division One in three-point percentage.

The former Gamecock guard spent two seasons with the team and won a national championship last year. She averaged over 10 points for the team during that span and was a go-to player on the offensive end. 

Two picks after Paopao went off the board, the Indiana Fever selected Bree Hall with the eighth pick in the second round. Hall will be reunited with former Gamecock great and two-time WNBA All-Star Aliyah Boston. 

Boston and Hall played together for two seasons at South Carolina and won the national championship in 2022. 

Hall will also join forces with former Iowa Hawkeye star Caitlin Clark, who the Fever selected with the No. 1 pick last year. Hall and Clark went against each other twice in the NCAA tournament, playing in the Final Four in 2023 and the national championship game in 2024. 

Clark’s Hawkeyes ended the Gamecocks' undefeated streak in 2023, but Hall got the last laugh, helping lead the Gamecocks to the title the next year. 

Hall ends her Gamecock career after 147 career appearances, a program record for any four-year player. She saw a significant increase in playing time the past two seasons and averaged eight points on 42% shooting. She was also the player the team turned to when it needed to shut down an opposing guard. 

Feagin was the last Gamecock taken off the board, going to the Los Angeles Sparks. 

The Sparks needed post depth with rising star Cameron Brink set to miss action until at least June while recovering from an ACL injury she suffered last year. Feagin can provide that depth after being one of South Carolina’s leading post players this past year. 

In L.A., Feagin will also be playing alongside established stars like Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby.

Throughout her four years in garnet and black, Feagin saw increased minutes and production. This past season was her best, setting career highs in points and rebounds. She stepped up even further in the postseason and earned spots on the All-SEC Tournament and All-NCAA Regional teams. 

Feagin joins Hall as the only Gamecocks to win multiple national championships. 

The draft was just the beginning of the journey for these three players. The challenge has just begun, as making a WNBA roster is no guarantee, even for rookies. 

It will be important to make an impression during training as it can be the difference in making the team or being cut. 

The turnaround will be quick, with WNBA training camp set to begin on April 27. The regular season tips off on May 16.