2017 WNBA Draft: South Carolina’s Kaela Davis, Allisha Gray Enter

Two key cogs in the 2017 NCAA champion South Carolina Gamecocks, Kaela Davis and Allisha Gray, have announced their intention to make themselves available for the 2017 WNBA Draft, which will be held in New York on April 13. The decision was first reported by Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.

Both players, as long as they don’t sign with an agent, have five days to reverse their decision, which was due by midnight EST Tuesday, April 4. One WNBA talent evaluator said he expected both to be picked in the “top half of the first round.”

Gray posted the thinking behind her decision in a lengthy Twitter post early Tuesday afternoon.

Though A’ja Wilson won Most Outstanding Player at this year’s NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks simply wouldn’t have been title contenders without the contributions of both Davis and Gray, each of whom is extremely intriguing as a WNBA prospect.

Gray possesses plus WNBA size for her position if she plays the two, but may settle in at the three, giving her team an additional ball handler and creator out of the wing. She’s a strong rebounder and excellent passer, particularly on the cut, and should fit well in a WNBA offensive scheme. She shot just 31.6 percent from three this season, but was at 41.8 percent from deep as a freshman with North Carolina, and her shot looks technically sound and should be an asset at the next level. Gray’s defense also grades out well, allowing just 0.625 points per possession, per Synergy.

Davis, meanwhile, opened plenty of eyes during the NCAA Tournament. Pressed into a bigger role for the Gamecocks with Alaina Coates out due to injury, Davis operated freely out of the high post in addition to her perimeter work. Her true shooting percentage, which had been in the upper 40s, shot into the mid-60s during tournament play, while her 6’2 size gives her options as a two, a three, or even a four in smaller lineups. She shot 34.9 percent from three, but made her free throws at an 81.2 percent clip, suggesting there’s more growth in her long-range accuracy. And she has the bloodlines, with her father, Antonio Davis, having played 13-year career in the NBA.

In a draft without other early entry candidates, both Gray and Davis have a strong possibility of getting picked in the first round, with Davis looking like she could be the first wing taken.