Where South Carolina women's basketball players stand in mock drafts ahead of 2023 WNBA Draft

COLUMBIA — Four South Carolina women's basketball seniors will head to New York next week for the WNBA Draft hoping to take the next step in their athletic careers.

Aliyah Boston, Brea Beal, Zia Cooke and Laeticia Amihere — all members of the Gamecocks' iconic 2019 recruiting class known as "The Freshies" — decided to renounce their final season of NCAA eligibility to declare for the 2023 WNBA Draft. All were invited to attend the event at Spring Studios on Monday (7 p.m., ESPN).

If any three of South Carolina's four potential first-rounders are actually chosen in Round 1, it would be the first time three players have been selected from the same team since Notre Dame in 2019. CBS projects all four to go in the top 12, which has not happened since four UConn players were chosen in 2002.

Here's where the now-former Gamecocks stand in the latest mock drafts:

WAY-TOO-EARLY PREDICTIONS: Three way-too-early predictions for South Carolina women's basketball as 'Freshies' depart

LOOKING AHEAD: South Carolina's Final Four exit felt like 'end of an era' but Raven Johnson showed promise of future

HISTORIC SEASON: South Carolina women's basketball had a historic season — with or without NCAA championship

Aliyah Boston, F

ESPN: No. 1, Indiana Fever

The Athletic: No. 1, Indiana Fever

CBS: No. 1, Indiana Fever

Just Women's Sports: No. 1, Indiana Fever

HerHoopStats: No. 1, Indiana Fever

There's really no question that Boston will be headed to the Fever as the No. 1 overall pick. The 6-foot-5 Gamecocks star is a generational prospect and has the potential to flourish immediately in the WNBA without junk defenses inhibiting her post dominance.

Indiana has been the worst franchise in the league for two seasons and has not reached the playoffs since 2016. The Fever fired former coach Marianne Stanley nine games into the 2022 season and finished 5-31 overall. However, there is optimism for new coach Christie Sides, who has nine years of experience as an assistant in the WNBA. Indiana's roster is extremely young: Just four players have more than a year of experience, which means Boston could play a major role in Year 1.

Brea Beal, G

ESPN: No. 7, Indiana Fever

The Athletic: No. 7, Indiana Fever

CBS: No. 7, Indiana Fever

Just Women's Sports: Outside first round

HerHoopStats: No. 10, Los Angeles Sparks

Beal didn't enter the 2022-23 season as a top 10 prospect, but her stock rapidly rose as her offensive output improved and her defensive prowess finally began earning recognition. The 6-1 guard was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and hit 38% of her 3-pointers after hitting 24% in 2021-22.

If the Fever select Beal with the seventh pick, she and Boston would have a South Carolina reunion in Indiana this summer with former Gamecocks point guard Destanni Henderson. Henderson was selected No. 20 by the Fever in the 2022 Draft and averaged 16 minutes per game. The Sparks also would be an interesting landing spot for Beal under new coach Curt Miller, who led the Connecticut Sun to two WNBA Finals appearances.

Laeticia Amihere, F

ESPN: No. 8, Atlanta Dream

The Athletic: No. 9, Seattle Storm

CBS: No. 8, Atlanta Dream

Just Women's Sports: Outside first round

HerHoopStats: Outside first round

The mock drafts are split on where the 6-4 forward will be selected, but if Amihere goes in Round 1 she would be the first non-starter on her college team to be chosen in the first round since UConn's Azura Stevens in 2018.

Amihere's size and athleticism are incredibly versatile, and she could play practically any position at the professional level. She's a strong fit for the Atlanta Dream, which was one of the top defensive teams in the league last season, particularly as a complement to 2022 Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard. Amihere could also be a role player for the Storm, which will look for a new identity after losing the legendary Sue Bird to retirement and star Breanna Stewart in free agency.

Zia Cooke, G

ESPN: No. 13, Indiana Fever (second round)

The Athletic: Outside first round

CBS: No. 12, Minnesota Lynx

Just Women's Sports: No. 9, Seattle Storm

HerHoopStats: No. 6, Atlanta Dream

Despite her career season in 2022-23, Cooke's size makes her the least likely to go Round 1 in a class that includes multiple star guards taller than 6 feet. Her biggest weapon is her shooting: Cooke was the Gamecocks' leading scorer, averaging 15.4 points with team-high 63 3-pointers. She also developed significantly as a defender this season, averaging two defensive rebounds and a steal per game.

Cooke is unlikely to be a Year 1 starter at any of her potential landing spots, but the Dream's defensive core could certainly benefit from an elite situational scorer. The Fever also could land all three South Carolina starters with Boston and Beal in Round 1, then Cooke with the first pick of the second round as projected by ESPN.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: WNBA Draft: Where South Carolina women's basketball seniors could land