Gamecocks Soar to No. 2 After Dominant SEC Title Win
The South Carolina Gamecocks are back near the top of the college basketball world, climbing to No. 2 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25.
Their rise comes after a statement victory over then-No. 1 Texas, securing a 64-45 win in the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship on Sunday. The dominant performance earned South Carolina its third straight SEC title and ninth in program history.
Dawn Staley’s squad was ranked No. 5 last week, but the latest rankings reflect their undeniable momentum. Meanwhile, Texas fell to No. 5 following the loss.
UCLA Takes No. 1, But South Carolina is Gaining Ground
UCLA claimed the top spot in this week’s poll after defeating Southern Cal in the Big Ten Tournament Championship on Sunday. However, South Carolina made a strong case for No. 1, receiving nine first-place votes.
With Selection Sunday approaching, the Gamecocks are in prime position for a No. 1 seed—and there’s even an argument they should be the No. 1 overall seed.
Gamecocks Positioned for Top Seed in NCAA Tournament
The Gamecocks were the highest-ranked No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s final Top 16 bracket reveal on Feb. 27. But since then, chaos has struck the top teams—Southern Cal, Texas, and Notre Dame all suffered losses and failed to win their conference tournaments.
That shake-up has strengthened South Carolina’s claim to the top overall seed. ESPN’s Charlie Creme now projects the Gamecocks as the No. 1 overall seed in his latest bracketology, placing them in Birmingham’s Region 1.
AP Top 25 Rankings (March 10, 2025)
- UCLA (16 first-place votes)
- South Carolina (9)
- UConn (7)
- Southern Cal
- Texas
- TCU
- Duke
- Notre Dame
- NC State
- LSU
- Oklahoma
- North Carolina
- Kentucky
- Baylor
- Ohio State
- West Virginia
- Oklahoma State
- Maryland
- Kansas State
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Creighton
- Florida State
- South Dakota State
- Ole Miss
How to Watch NCAA Women’s Selection Sunday
- What: 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket Reveal
- When: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16
- TV: ESPN
- Stream: ESPN.com or the ESPN app
With momentum on their side, South Carolina is ready to make a deep March Madness run—and possibly claim the No. 1 overall seed. Stay tuned for Selection Sunday, where their path to another championship will officially be set!
