South Carolina women's basketball: Using AI to simulate the SEC and NCAA Tournaments

Everyone wants to know what will happen when the season begins in two weeks. I tasked ChatGPT with simulating the 2026 postseason.

Because of the amount of information, I’ve split the simulation into two sets – the regular season and the postseason. On Monday, I shared the results from the regular season. 

This is just for fun. Because of the number of teams and players involved, plus unpredictable variables like injuries, the margin for error is significant. Even with that acknowledgment, ChatGPT’s high expectations for Texas A&M in the regular season and Stanford in the postseason are enough to question how much the computers really know.

Here are the predictions for South Carolina based on 100 simulations.

Most frequent SEC Tournament champion: 
South Carolina – 56%
Texas – 15% 
LSU – 12%

SEC Tournament Final: South Carolina 76, LSU 63
Recap: South Carolina’s guard attack and depth carried them to the SEC title. Ta’Niya Latson orchestrated the offense (25/6 ast) and attacked the rim all game, getting LSU into foul trouble and converting key free throws late. South Carolina won the turnover battle late and stretched a modest second-quarter lead into a comfortable margin with several offensive rebounds and putbacks from Joyce Edwards and the bench. LSU fought inside (Flau’Jae Johnson 22), but had trouble containing SC’s guards in transition.
SEC Tournament MVP: Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina.

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Final Four frequency:
South Carolina – 39%
Stanford – 29%
Texas – 20%
UConn – 17%
LSU – 12% 
Florida and Georgia appeared surprisingly often in the Final Four in some sims

NCAA champion frequency: 
South Carolina – 32%
Stanford – 20%
Texas – 11%
UConn – 9%
LSU / Other – remaining championships split across programs

Final Four recaps:
South Carolina 78, Stanford 70
South Carolina’s guards set the tone; Ta’Niya Latson poured in 29 points and dished 7 assists, attacking Stanford’s defense and creating mismatches. Stanford’s Nunu Agara fought inside for a 22/11 double-double and freshman Hailee Swain provided perimeter scoring, but the Cardinal couldn’t sustain defensive stops in the fourth. SC’s bench and offensive rebounds (Edwards + McDaniel) produced valuable second-chance points that Stanford could not match late.
Key moment: Late 3rd quarter, SC turned a 4-point deficit into a 10-point lead on an 8-0 run initiated by back-to-back Latson drives and an Edwards offensive rebound putback.

Texas 68, UConn 66
A game decided in the final minute: Azzi Fudd (26) and Sarah Strong (18) carried UConn offensively, but Texas’s rebounding (40 team boards) and late defensive stands proved decisive. Rori Harmon manufactured midrange buckets and drew fouls down the stretch; Justice Carlton’s interior presence secured second-chance points. UConn hit a three with 20 seconds left to cut it to two, but a turnover on the ensuing possession prevented the Huskies from getting a final shot.
Key moment: With 1:05 left, Harmon hit a contested floater and then forced a stop on UConn’s next possession; Texas converted free throws to ice the game.

National Championship recap:
SC 82, Texas 72
South Carolina’s dominance on the glass and Ta’Niya Latson’s generational guard performance (33 pts, 10 ast) were the difference. SC outrebounded Texas 45–38, converting multiple offensive rebounds into points; Joyce Edwards’ 12/11 double helped control Texas’s interior. Texas fought back via Rori Harmon (28/7/7) and Justice Carlton (12/11), but SC’s depth (McDaniel’s 12 off the bench) and efficient late free-throw shooting closed the gap. SC closed the game on a 9–2 run that started with a Latson steal and ended with McDaniel’s offensive rebound putback.
Tournament MOP: Ta’Niya Latson

I’m pretty sure ChatGPT is just trying to butter me up to make sure that I, for one, support our new AI overlords.

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