On Wednesday, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley spoke to the media. As part of the conversation leading up to Thursday’s matchup against Missouri, the Gamecock boss talked about her team’s Senior Night.

It was well known that Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, and Maryam Dauda would take part in the festivities, as they have exhausted their collegiate eligibility.

Madina Okot will also walk with the seniors, but Staley reiterated that the Gamecocks and their walking double-double are appealing for an extra year of eligibility. She played two years at Zetech University in Kenya before spending the last two seasons at Mississippi State and Carolina.

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The other two senior Gamecocks at the forefront of Gamecock fans’ minds are post players Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins. Though not identical circumstances, both players are out for the 2025-26 season with torn ACLs. Medical redshirts should be slam-dunk cases if they choose to pursue them. Staley spoke about Kitts’ and Watkins’ potential futures in Columbia.

“Chloe will come back next year,” she said. “I think she said that on Instagram, didn’t she? Right? Well, as far as I know. The transfer portal isn’t open yet.”

Kitts, a 6-2 forward who injured her knee this preseason, is eligible for the WNBA Draft. Public sentiment has seemed to favor a Kitts return to Columbia for some time.

Watkins’ situation is a little different, but Staley said she expects her to return, as well.

“I mean, Ashlyn took a year off,” Staley said. “She will come back when that year is up. That’s sometime in May.”

Watkins, a 6-3 forward who got hurt last season against Mississippi State, is also eligible for the draft. However, she unenrolled from South Carolina following an announcement of a year away from basketball during the summer.

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While not making any promises, Coach Staley spoke confidently. If her confident prognostications mirror reality, South Carolina’s 2026-27 roster would receive major boosts. Getting any or all of Okot, Kitts, and Watkins back can only help USC’s frontcourt for next season.

For now, though, four Gamecocks — one who might return — will take part in Senior Night. Following the pregame ceremony, Carolina will take on the Missouri Tigers at 8 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena. SEC Network will carry the television broadcast, while the ESPN app will make the action available via streaming.