There’s no uncertainty in Dawn Staley’s mind—South Carolina deserves to be the top team heading into the NCAA Tournament. After the Gamecocks delivered a dominant performance against No. 1-ranked Texas in the SEC Championship Game, Staley made it clear that her team should not just be among the No. 1 seeds but should be the No. 1 overall seed, ahead of powerhouses like Southern Cal, UCLA, UConn, and Texas.
Following South Carolina’s emphatic 64-45 victory over the Longhorns, Staley took the opportunity to emphasize the strength of her team’s overall résumé. Speaking from Bon Secours Wellness Arena, she urged the selection committee not to overlook the Gamecocks’ achievements.
“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.”
The NCAA women’s selection show is scheduled for 8 p.m. next Sunday on ESPN, where the official bracket will be revealed, and Staley expects South Carolina’s name to be at the top.
South Carolina’s Case for the Top Spot
Before their SEC Tournament run, the Gamecocks were ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 and were projected as the No. 5 overall seed (the highest-ranked No. 2 seed) in the NCAA’s final bracket reveal on February 27. However, they steamrolled through the SEC Tournament, winning three straight games against high-caliber opponents. Their tournament run began with a 21-point win over Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals, followed by an 18-point victory against Oklahoma in the semifinals. The grand finale was their decisive triumph over Texas, a team many considered the best in the country.
This commanding run, especially the blowout against Texas, solidified South Carolina’s argument for the No. 1 overall seed. Other teams in contention include Big East champion UConn (30-3) and Big Ten champion UCLA (30-2), both of whom own head-to-head victories over the Gamecocks and also clinched their respective conference titles on Sunday. UCLA, in particular, defeated Southern Cal, another team vying for a No. 1 seed.
Staley, however, remains steadfast in her belief that South Carolina’s résumé surpasses them all.
“I am going to go down fighting for what our team earned,” she declared.
Breaking Down South Carolina’s Resume
South Carolina’s overall record of 30-3 is accompanied by an impressive 16-3 record in Quad 1 games. Against Texas—who entered Sunday as the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 and the No. 2 overall seed in the last bracket reveal—the Gamecocks led by as many as 21 points. Their defensive performance was suffocating, holding Texas to a season-low 45 points while limiting them to 29.6% shooting from the field. These struggles were reminiscent of Texas’ only other major offensive collapse this season—a 67-50 loss to South Carolina back in January.
The Gamecocks entered the SEC Championship as the No. 2 team in the NCAA’s NET rankings system and wrapped up their campaign with a 30-3 overall record. Their three losses came against No. 4 UCLA (on the road in November), No. 1 Texas (on the road in February), and No. 3 UConn (at home in February).
Despite their strong season, South Carolina was shocked to find themselves ranked No. 5 overall in the NCAA’s most recent bracket reveal. The drop came after a 29-point home loss to UConn, which seemingly caused the selection committee to re-evaluate their standing. In the initial bracket reveal on February 16, South Carolina was the No. 2 overall seed, trailing only UCLA—a team that had defeated them head-to-head.
By the February 27 update, the No. 1 seeds were:
UCLA
Texas
Southern Cal
Notre Dame
South Carolina was positioned as the top No. 2 seed (No. 5 overall), just ahead of No. 6 UConn and No. 7 LSU.
Staley expressed her frustration with the evaluation process.
“Teams get so much credit for beating us, 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. You can’t discredit that.”
Many analysts had already projected South Carolina as a No. 1 seed following their victory over Oklahoma in the SEC semifinals. Their cause was further aided when Notre Dame, one of the projected No. 1 seeds, was eliminated in the ACC Tournament semifinals. The dominant win against Texas was the final push the Gamecocks needed to ensure their top-four seeding.
Is the No. 1 Overall Seed Still Up for Grabs?
The final question is whether South Carolina has done enough to leapfrog UCLA and Texas for the No. 1 overall seed. This designation is not just symbolic—it carries tangible benefits. The top overall seed gets the most favorable regional placement, meaning South Carolina could play in Birmingham, Alabama, instead of being sent across the country to Spokane, Washington. Additionally, it allows for an extra day of rest, with a Friday-Sunday game schedule instead of Saturday-Monday.
Staley certainly thinks the Gamecocks have earned it.
“We, again, manufactured our schedule to put ourselves in this situation,” she said, highlighting South Carolina’s No. 1 overall strength of schedule ranking and No. 5 non-conference strength of schedule ranking in the NET rankings.
At least one major analyst agrees. ESPN’s Charlie Creme, a leading bracketologist, stated on Sunday night that South Carolina would take over as his No. 1 overall seed. His updated list of top seeds now includes:
South Carolina
UCLA
Southern Cal
Texas
With the official bracket reveal set for March 16, all eyes will be on whether the NCAA selection committee follows Staley’s argument and rewards South Carolina’s dominant performance with the No. 1 overall seed.
How to Watch NCAA Women’s Selection Sunday
What: 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket Reveal
When: 8 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 16
Where: ESPN
South Carolina has done its part—the Gamecocks have conquered the SEC and beaten some of the best teams in the nation. Now, the question remains: Will the selection committee acknowledge their dominance and grant them the No. 1 overall seed?
“Dawn Staley Sends a Powerful Message to the NCAA Selection after Huge SEC win vs Overall no.1 Texas.
