AP voters unanimously rank South Carolina women's basketball third ahead of SEC Tournament

South Carolina women’s basketball finished the regular season on a 10-game winning streak with victories last week over Missouri and Kentucky on the road. When the updated AP top 25 came out on Monday, the Gamecocks stayed put at No. 3. USC held its position behind the UConn Huskies and UCLA Bruins.

In an incredible statistical and voting oddity, 2025-26 has been the first season since 2018-19 that South Carolina has not yet made it to AP No. 1. USC has not been outside the top seven since the preseason poll ahead of the 2019-20 season.

South Carolina did not earn a first-place vote this week because UConn holds the top spot unanimously. In fact, for the third week in a row, the three top spots were all unanimous. UConn was first on all 31 ballots, UCLA was second on all 31 ballots, and, of course, South Carolina was third on all 31 ballots.

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Frankly, it would take an unexpected loss in upcoming conference tournaments for those numbers to change.

South Carolina (SEC), UCLA (Big Ten), and UConn (Big East) all won the regular-season championships in their respective conferences. The Gamecocks, Bruins, and Huskies will also be the No. 1 seeds in each league’s conference tournaments.

Every NCAA Tournament bracketology projection includes the trio as March Madness’ top three No. 1 seeds. As things stand, UConn is the No. 1 overall team, meaning that, assuming higher-seeded teams win, South Carolina and UCLA could meet in the Final Four with a chance to play UConn in the title game on the line. Vanderbilt and Texas have picked up the most predictions as the Big Dance’s fourth No. 1 seed. They will be the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the SEC Tournament, respectively.

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South Carolina will not play until Friday, as the Gamecocks earned a double-bye in the SEC Tournament. When they take the court in Greenville, USC will face Arkansas, Kentucky, or Georgia.

That quarterfinal matchup will begin at noon on Friday, March 6th at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. ESPN will televise the matchup, while the ESPN app makes it available via streaming.

If the Gamecocks win, they will play in the semifinals, likely against LSU or Oklahoma. That Saturday, March 7 showdown will begin at 4:30 p.m. ESPN2 will carry the television broadcast, while the ESPN app again streams the action.

Then, the SEC Tournament final will take place on Sunday, March 8. Vanderbilt and Texas are the two highest seeds on the opposite side of the bracket and, therefore, the most likely teams to advance. ESPN will broadcast and the ESPN app will stream the 3 p.m. title game.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!