For the sixth consecutive season, South Carolina is atop the women’s college basketball world as a No. 1 seed.
The Gamecocks (31-3) were named the top seed in the Sacramento 4 Regional on Sunday, marking their 10th overall No. 1 seed in program history. Making their 14th straight tournament appearance, South Carolina will remain at home to host the first and second rounds at Colonial Life Arena.
The SEC champions will open play Saturday against the winner of Thursday’s First Four matchup between Southern (19-13) and Samford (16-18). The Columbia pod also features a matchup between No. 8 seed Clemson (21-11) and No. 9 seed Southern Cal (17-13).
The winners of Saturday’s contests will meet Monday, March 23, for a spot in the Sweet 16.
South Carolina earned the tournament’s fourth overall No. 1 seed following a dominant campaign in which they spent the entire season ranked in the top five of the national polls. Head coach Dawn Staley’s squad notched 12 Quad 1 wins and 12 victories against ranked opponents—both the third-most in the nation.
The Gamecocks’ consistency was further highlighted by the record books, as all five starters earned All-SEC status, tying a conference record.
History favors the Gamecocks in this position. Under Staley, the program has won three national championships (2017, 2022, 2024) and reached the Final Four in seven of the last 10 tournaments. Since Staley took over, South Carolina has amassed a 47-10 record in NCAA Tournament play.
The program’s 22nd all-time bid comes on the heels of their 10th SEC regular-season title, finishing league play with a 15-1 record.
