Allisha Gray Puts the WNBA on Notice
South Carolina alumni had a week worth talking about — and Allisha Gray made sure the conversation started with her.
The Atlanta Dream guard turned in one of the most complete performances of her WNBA career on Sunday, Aug. 30, going for 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and a +17 plus-minus in an 89-81 Dream win over the Minnesota Lynx. Gray's double-double wasn't just a stat-sheet filler — she was the engine of a Dream offense that needed every bit of her production to hold off Minnesota. Fellow Gamecocks Te-Hina Paopao (1 assist, +3) and Madina Okot (-2) also saw minutes in Atlanta's rotation, a testament to just how deep South Carolina's WNBA pipeline runs.
Raven Johnson's Moment Has Arrived
If Gray owned the box score, Raven Johnson owned the headlines.
The Indiana Fever rookie — fresh off a standout run as the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year at South Carolina — was selected to represent Team USA at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin, stepping into a roster spot that became available after A'ja Wilson's withdrawal (more on that below). Johnson, still adjusting to the speed and physicality of the professional game after a humbling early training-camp lesson she opened up about publicly, wasted no time embracing the moment. She sent a message to Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese upon departing — playfully nicknaming her — and shared a heartfelt social media exchange with Sky center and fellow Gamecock Kamilla Cardoso during the break.
Johnson's Team USA call-up underscores what South Carolina fans already knew: this isn't just a raw rookie finding her footing. The defensive instincts that defined her college career are already translating, and the Fever's coaching staff is leaning into it. During the WNBA's World Cup pause, Johnson has also been using the downtime to sharpen her offensive game rather than rest — a detail the Fever highlighted in spotlighting players making an impact off the court in Indianapolis.
A'ja Wilson's World Cup Absence Casts a Shadow
The week's most concerning storyline comes from Las Vegas: A'ja Wilson has been ruled out of the FIBA Women's World Cup for health reasons, USA Basketball confirmed Monday. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were named as replacements for Wilson and Kelsey Plum on the updated roster. No specific details about Wilson's condition were disclosed.
The two-time WNBA MVP's absence is significant beyond the Aces. Team USA loses one of its most dominant interior presences heading into a Berlin tournament with genuine international competition. For Gamecock fans, it's a week of mixed emotions — the pride of watching Johnson step into that Team USA moment, shadowed by concern for the program's greatest professional product sitting this one out.
Elsewhere in Gamecock Country
Aliyah Boston remains in the Team USA fold, with her long-standing connection to Caitlin Clark drawing attention ahead of the World Cup. Meanwhile, Boston's future in Indiana is generating off-court chatter — analysts have flagged the Fever's upcoming salary crunch under the new CBA as a potential complication for retaining their core. None of that dims what's happening right now, but it's a subplot Fever fans — and Boston supporters in Columbia — should keep an eye on as the playoff push intensifies.
South Carolina's professional footprint across the WNBA has never been deeper. This week proved it runs from the stat sheet all the way to the national team roster.
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