Dawn Staley Makes Bold Case for South Carolina as NCAA’s No. 1 Overall Seed After SEC Title Win
There’s no doubt in Dawn Staley’s mind—South Carolina deserves the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
After dominating top-ranked Texas in a 64-45 blowout to claim the SEC championship, Staley made her stance clear.
“I just hope the committee doesn’t discount our entire résumé,” Staley said. “There isn’t anybody in the country that has played the schedule that we’ve played.”
With the NCAA Selection Show set for March 16 at 8 p.m. on ESPN, the Gamecocks are making a strong push for the top overall seed ahead of teams like UCLA, Texas, Southern Cal, and UConn.
South Carolina’s Case for No. 1
Heading into the SEC Tournament, USC was ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll and projected as the top No. 2 seed (No. 5 overall) in the NCAA’s latest bracket reveal. But after rolling through Vanderbilt (by 21), Oklahoma (by 18), and Texas (by 19) in the tournament, their résumé is undeniable.
South Carolina now sits at 30-3 overall and went 16-3 in Quad 1 games. Their only losses? At No. 4 UCLA, at No. 1 Texas, and at home to No. 3 UConn—all powerhouse programs.
Meanwhile, UCLA (30-2) and UConn (30-3) both won their conference championships and own head-to-head wins over South Carolina. But Staley isn’t backing down.
“I am going to go down fighting for what our team earned,” she declared.
SEC Title Game Dominance Over Texas
The Gamecocks’ win over Texas wasn’t just a victory—it was a statement.
They led by as many as 21 points and held the Longhorns to just 29.6% shooting, their worst performance since South Carolina beat them earlier this season (67-50 on Jan. 12).
With a No. 2 ranking in the NCAA’s NET rankings, a brutal schedule, and a dominant tournament run, the Gamecocks have a strong argument for the top spot.
Staley was shocked that South Carolina dropped to the No. 5 overall seed in the last bracket reveal after a 29-point loss to UConn but insists the committee can’t overlook their body of work.
“(Teams) get so much credit for beating us,” Staley said, “yet when we’ve had some of the toughest stretches in the country, and we came out of it unscathed? You can’t discount that.”
Will South Carolina Land the No. 1 Overall Seed?
Winning the SEC Tournament likely locks South Carolina into a top-4 overall seed, but will they be No. 1 overall?
That top spot comes with two key perks:
- Playing in the closest regional (Birmingham, Alabama) instead of Spokane, Washington
- Getting an extra day of rest with a Friday-Sunday schedule instead of Saturday-Monday
ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme believes the answer is yes. After the SEC Tournament, his updated No. 1 seeds are:
- South Carolina
- UCLA
- Southern Cal
- Texas
“We, again, manufactured our schedule to put ourselves in this situation,” Staley said, reinforcing her confidence.
Now, all eyes are on Selection Sunday as the Gamecocks wait to see if they’ll claim the top spot in the Big Dance.
How to Watch NCAA Women’s Selection Show
📅 Date: Sunday, March 16
⏰ Time: 8 p.m. ET
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app
