Gamecocks Drop to No. 2 Seed in NCAA Tournament Rankings After UConn Loss
South Carolina women’s basketball landed as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s final Top 16 rankings, released Thursday.
The Gamecocks (25-3, 13-1 SEC) sit at No. 5 overall and are placed in the Birmingham 4 region. In the projected bracket, USC shares the region with No. 1 seed Notre Dame, No. 3 seed Tennessee, and No. 4 seed Oklahoma.
Impact of the UConn Loss
Dawn Staley’s squad was originally ranked No. 2 overall in the committee’s first Top 16 reveal on Feb. 16, where they were the No. 1 seed in the Birmingham 2 region. However, a 29-point loss to UConn just hours after those rankings were unveiled significantly impacted their standing.
Derita Dawkins, chair of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball committee, confirmed that the loss played a major role in South Carolina’s drop from a No. 1 to a No. 2 seed.
“The UConn-South Carolina game, that was a 29-point win for UConn, is part of what led to South Carolina not being on the one line anymore,” Dawkins said on ESPN2. “If you look at our overall No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds, those teams haven’t lost since the last reveal.”
South Carolina’s No. 1 Seed History
Despite this setback, South Carolina has a strong history as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, earning the top spot eight times during Staley’s tenure, including the last four consecutive seasons. The Gamecocks were also a No. 1 seed for four seasons between 2013-2017.
Key NCAA Tournament Dates & Locations
The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds will be played in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington. This year’s Final Four and national championship will take place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
When is the NCAA Selection Show?
The official NCAA Tournament bracket will be revealed on Selection Sunday, March 16, with the selection show airing at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Final NCAA Tournament Top 16 Rankings (Released Feb. 27)
Spokane 1 Region:
- UCLA (1)
- LSU (7)
- North Carolina (10)
- Kansas State (15)
Birmingham 2 Region:
- Texas (2)
- NC State (8)
- TCU (9)
- Ohio State (16)
Spokane 3 Region:
- Southern Cal (3)
- UConn (6)
- Duke (11)
- Kentucky (14)
Birmingham 4 Region:
- Notre Dame (4)
- South Carolina (5)
- Tennessee (12)
- Oklahoma (13)
