GREENVILLE, S.C. — Coach Dawn Staley of South Carolina asserts that her team should be recognized as the No. 1 overall seed in the forthcoming NCAA Tournament. Her claim follows their commanding performance in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, culminating in an emphatic 64-45 victory over the top-ranked Texas team during Sunday’s championship match.
The Gamecocks, with a season record of 30-3, entered the SEC Tournament positioned fifth nationally and were initially expected to receive a No. 2 seed. However, after defeating three SEC opponents by substantial margins of 18, 21, and 19 points respectively, a No. 1 seed seems assured now.
Staley insists her team deserves even higher recognition. “Our tournament victory, coupled with the challenging schedule we undertook, should position us as the No. 1 overall seed,” Staley asserted. “We designed our schedule to get us here. I hope the selection committee acknowledges our broader accomplishments. No other team has faced our level of schedule difficulty, shared in a regular-season title, triumphed in this tournament, and beaten the nation’s top-ranked team.”
Staley highlighted South Carolina’s achievements during the 2024-25 season, including 12 victories against Top 25 teams with two triumphs over Texas. Moreover, the Gamecocks boast a commendable 7-3 record against Top 10 opponents, with losses only to No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Connecticut, and No. 4 UCLA.
The regular-season lineup for the Gamecocks featured 30 games, including 13 against teams ranked at game time within the AP Top 25, which is more than any other ranked team. Despite these achievements, Staley expressed surprise that her team was seeded No. 2 entering the tournament.
“Beating us carries significant weight, yet our resilient performance against one of the country’s toughest schedules shouldn’t be overlooked or undervalued,” Staley remarked. “Our record deserves recognition, and I will continue to advocate for what our team has rightfully earned.”
Finally, Staley concluded, “I will continue to advocate fiercely for the recognition our team deserves.”
