From Nat’l Champs to First-Round Draft Picks: Coates, Gray, And Davis Make WNBA Dreams A Reality

by Doug Ammon

NEW YORK –April has been quite the whirlwind of emotions if you’re a member of
the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball program.

First, you would have endured the gauntlet that is the NCAA tournament. The
Gamecocks entered the tourney as the top overall seed in the Stockton region and
cruised to their first National Championship appearance in school history. The
entire basketball world expected USC to face what would have been a then 112-0
University of Connecticut Huskies squad, but Mississippi State had other ideas,
upsetting the juggernaut and setting up an all-SEC affair for a national title.

The Gamecocks, led by their lionhearted head coach Dawn Staley, appeared to be a
team of destiny as they steamrolled the Bulldogs and hoisted the first National
Championship trophy in school history.

Fast forward 11 days and over 1,500 miles from Dallas to New York City: Two of
the three leading scorers from that title game, along with an All-American who
was the catalyst behind their success all season, and three of the most pivotal
members from that tournament-tested Gamecocks team face a different kind of
pressure.

Seated within feet of each other and surrounded by their closest friends and
family, Alaina Coates, Allisha Gray and Kaela Davis are now minutes away from
finding out what WNBA team they will suit up for this summer.

Their Gamecock garnet and black uniforms have been replaced with knee-length
black dresses for Gray and Davis and a white jumpsuit for Coates. The three
teammates showcase the same demure behavior that made them a cohesive unit on
the floor as the bright lights of the cameras turn-on and the gut-wrenching
anticipation that comes with waiting to see your name appear on a screen in
front of you begins.

First, it’s the nation’s record-setting scorer, Kelsey Plum, who hears her name
read as the first overall pick. Then, the cameras slowly saunter over Coates’
way and the first Gamecock goes off the board. WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes
delivers the news that Coates’ didn’t have to wait long to hear.

‘I actually, enjoy the physicality, I welcome it.’

“With the second pick in the 2017 WNBA draft the Chicago Sky select… Alaina
Coates from South Carolina.” The journey to Samsung 837, the new setting where
the WNBA has decided to hold the 2017 draft, has been a particularly grueling
one for Alaina Coates.

“I’m just really excited. I think I’m still coming off the national championship
high. I didn’t get to do anything except watch a TV screen, but I was still part
of the team. For me to go number two, especially with my situation, I’m really
excited about that as well,” Coates told the media after being selected.

Her “situation” was a nagging ankle injury that held her out of the entirety of
the National Championship run and required her to get surgery after the season
ended. She’s attending the draft on a supportive scooter, and likely won’t be
back to basketball activities for at least the next four weeks.

Still, the Sky know the interior value and immediate scoring threat that Coates
will bring when she ditches the scooter. The 6’4″ center is SC’s career leader
in FG%, defensive rebounds, double-doubles, and blocks. She’s a two-time AP
Honorable Mention All-American, and four-time All-SEC selection. In other words,
she’s a force to be reckoned with and has been for some time.

But, the WNBA is a league full of bigs with similar resumes, and without Elena
Delle Donne in a Sky uniform for the first time in four seasons, Coates will
immediately be leaned upon to be a scoring threat.

The increased workload and nightly battles with other bigs around the league is
actually something she’s looking forward to though. “As a big person, I don’t
know if it’s because I always went against my dad in the driveway, but I
actually enjoy the physicality. It means something to me that if you’re playing
in the post, you can get your shot off. I know I’m probably going to get beat up
as a rookie, but I’m looking forward to it,” Coates said.

For now though, its all about rehab and getting healthy. She’s out to prove that
Chicago made the right decision by selecting her second overall. “It means a
lot. It’s just a lot of motivation for me when I do come back. [I want to] come
out and show them the reasons why they still picked me despite my situation.”

‘I won a national championship in Dallas so there’s great memories there.’

Gamecock nation didn’t have to wait very long to see another of their own go off
the board as just two picks after Coates it was Allisha Gray who heard her name
called.

Unlike Coates, Gray had a year of eligibility left in college and could have
returned to make another title run, but instead she chose to take her talents to
the next level.

The wildly athletic speedster won’t be going very far from where her fond
National Championship dreams became a reality as the Dallas Wings selected her
fourth overall. “It was great. I was predicted around the first round, but I was
unsure. I’m glad the Dallas Wings have confidence in me and chose me. I’m
excited to join the organization,” she said after the selection.

Another Wing that’s likely thrilled at the proposition of having Gray in the
backcourt has to be Skylar Diggins. Diggins, a formidable athlete in her own
right, will now have a running mate who can match her electric tempo and fits in
perfectly with what the Wings are trying to do offensively.

Already a polished guard, Gray didn’t waste any time getting back into the gym
and improving her game prior to the draft. “I’ve been improving my ball
handling. From a mental aspect, I’ve been working on my decision making because
in the WNBA you’re playing against a lot of experienced players,” she said.

Beaming from ear to ear, Gray coolly makes her way through the media circuit,
her enthusiasm matched by the always boisterous Dawn Staley, whose excitement
for first Coates and now Gray permeates from her spot on the “Legends Couch”
throughout the room around her.

Two down, one to go.

‘It means a lot to me to carry the Davis name and extend it a little bit.’

It’s fitting for a team that never slipped out of the top ten national rankings
to have all of their players who attended the WNBA draft be selected in the top
ten. The third and final Gamecock to hear her name called was Kaela Davis, a
6’2″ guard who played alongside the aforementioned Gray all season long and with
whom she combined for 28 points with in the National Championship game.

Davis comes from esteemed basketball pedigree. Her father, Antonio Davis, played
15 seasons in the NBA with four different franchises. Antonio passed on his
well-known tenacity to Kaela as the hard-nosed guard did it all for the
Gamecocks averaging a well-rounded 12.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per
game. She also played the second most minutes on the squad for the year, 1030
total.

Much like Coates and Gray, Davis pulled a great deal of inspiration from Coach
Staley. “Her big thing is always playing at the next level. That’s something
she’s always been preparing myself and teammates since we got to South
Carolina,” Davis said. “She always starts things off with ‘if you want to get
here, you need to do A, B and C.’ Luckily, we had someone who has been here and
was successful here. She’s tried to instill that in us as much as possible. I’m
super thankful to have been under her for the two years I was.”

The most thrilling part of Davis being selected 10th overall might just be the
fact that she won’t have to part ways with backcourt running mate Allisha Gray
as Davis was also selected by the Wings.

The two newest members of the Wings were all smiles as they video-chatted with
fans back in Dallas, and it was none other than Skylar Diggins that welcomed
them into the franchise. Her and Tiffany Bias greeted both Gray and Davis with
equally excited smiles of approval.

***

When the draft dust settled, the South Carolina trio had made history. Coates
became the highest Gamecock drafted in the history of the program, while it was
also just the second time a school had three players all selected in the top 10
in WNBA history, joining UConn’s top-three trio from last year.

Coates, Gray and Davis have become accustomed to being “SC firsts,” from their
National Championship run to their new WNBA homes. As they embark on the next
chapter of their careers and teammates become opponents, at least in the case of
Coates, it’s clear this trio is far from being done as pioneers of the game.

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